rp^ 

v'*fefcjf 


WJW 

I 


A 


^jrau 

JSt 


I 


ECLECTIC    SCHOOL   READINGS 

THE  SPANISH 


1:1  fc:; 


S/"" 
(  ......  t 


syss?y?!!S!Tfj!sg^^ 

MEwroii^cir 


I 


[A. 


BANCROFT    LIBRARf 


ECLECTIC  SCHOOL   READINGS 


THE    SPANISH    IN    THE 
SOUTHWEST 


BY 


ROSA  V.   WINTERBURN 


NEW  YORK . :  •  CINCINNATI . : .  CHICAGO 

AMERICAN    BOOK    COMPANY 


F~  7  ?  C, 


COPYRIGHT,  1903,  BY 
ROSA  V.  WINTERBURN. 

ENTERED  AT  STATIONERS'  HALL,  LONDON. 


SPANISH    IN    SOUTHWEST. 

w.  P.  3 


., . 


THIS   WORK   IS   DEDICATED 


190879 


INTRODUCTORY    NOTE 

FROM  the  simplicity  of  the  Indians,  through  the  biogra- 
phies of  gold-seeking  Spaniards  and  the  indolence  of  the 
Spanish  occupation,  to  the  complexities  of  the  constitu- 
tional era,  runs  this  writing.  To  have  been  purely  his- 
torical by  omitting  the  story  element  would  have  taken 
the  work  out  of  the  realm  of  the  children  for  whom  it  is 
intended;  to  have  presented  only  incidents  and  biogra- 
phies would  have  destroyed  historical  values.  So  the 
book  is  indeed  a  story  of  history,  a  collection  of  stories 
selected  and  arranged  to  present  historical  characteristics 
and  tendencies  of  periods. 

Believing  that  to  some  extent  the  form  of  narration 
should  follow  the  psychological  development  of  the  sub- 
ject treated,  the  manner  of  telling  the  story  has  been 
steadily  adapted  to  meet  conditions.  Simple  and  childlike 
when  writing  of  the  Indians;  biographical  in  the  early 
days  before  the  efforts  of  an  individual  were  reckoned 
into  the  sum  of  activities ;  thoughtful  and  reasoning  in 
the  difficulties  of  the  contact  with  foreigners. 

If  the  children  of  the  Pacific  slope  read  and  enjoy, 
finding  in  and  between  the  lines  an  uprising  of  love  and 
respect  for  their  glorious  country,  and  of  determined 
loyalty  in  the  protection  of  its  honor  and  morality,  this 
little  book  will  have  fulfilled  its  mission. 

R.   V.  W, 


CONTENTS 

I.     BEFORE   THE   COMING   OF   THE   SPANISH 
CHAPTER  I 

PAGE 

INDIAN  LIFE  IN  CALIFORNIA 9 

Homes.  Food.  Catching  wild  fowl  and  animals.  Fishing. 
Clothing.  Quarrels  and  battles.  Diseases  and  their  treatment. 
Games.  Result  of  the  coming  of  the  white  men. 

CHAPTER   II 
INDIAN  LEGENDS 27 

Legend  of  creation.  How  man  was  made.  How  fire  was 
brought  to  the  Indians.  A  legend  of  the  geysers. 

II.  DISCOVERERS  AND  EXPLORERS 

CHAPTER  III 

CORTES 43 

On  the  coast  of  Mexico.  Messengers  from  Montezuma.  March 
to  the  city  of  Mexico.  Meeting  of  Cortes  and  Montezuma.  Mon- 
tezuma a  prisoner.  His  submission  to  the  Spanish  king.  Attempt 
of  the  Aztecs  to  drive  the  Spaniards  out  of  the  city.  Death  of 
Montezuma.  Character  of  Cortes.  Use  of  the  name  California. 
The  island  of  California. 

CHAPTER  IV 

REPORTS  OF  THE  SEVEN  CITIES    . 57 

Story  told  by  Tejos.  Army  started  north.  Cabeza  de  Vaca. 
New  enthusiasm  about  the  seven  cities. 

CHAPTER  V 

FRAY  MARCOS  DE  NIZA 64 

Fray  Marcos  starts  to  find  the  seven  cities.  Death  of  Stephen. 
A  glimpse  of  the  seven  cities.  Wonderful  accounts  to  the  governor 
of  Mexico.  Three  expeditions  started  north. 

5 


Contents 


CHAPTER  VI 

PAGE 

CORONADO  AND  AlARCON        . 68 

Coronado's  army.  Disappointments.  Cibola.  Journey  to  Qui- 
vira.  Land  of  the  "wild  cows."  Letter  to  the  king  of  Spain. 
Treatment  of  Coronado  on  his  return  to  Mexico.  The  failure  of 
Alarcon  to  meet  Coronado. 

CHAPTER   VII 

THE  SPANISH  CLAIM  TO  THE  PACIFIC  OCEAN       «       .       v  -''  *    .'•  .      79 

Reasons  for  early  voyages  to  the  west.  Discoveries  by  Spain 
and  Portugal.  Quarrel  between  the  two  nations.  The  Pope's  divi- 
sion of  the  unknown  world  between  them.  New  quarrels  in  the 
Philippines.  Long  voyages  of  the  Spanish  ships.  Reasons  for 
exploring  the  North  Pacific. 

CHAPTER   VIII 

CABRILLO  AND  VISCAINO 83 

Cabrillo's  voyage  into  the  North  Pacific.  Ports  taken  possession 
of  for  Spain.  Severe  weather.  Death  of  Cabrillo.  His  commands 
to  his  pilot.  Viscaino.  Retraverses  Cabrillo's  voyage.  Sailors 
charmed  with  Monterey.  Failure  to  find  the  Straits  of  Anian. 
Report  to  the  king  of  Spain. 

CHAPTER   IX 

THE  ENGLISH  IN  THE  NORTH  PACIFIC 89 

English  privateers.  Drake  and  the  Golden  Hind.  Search  for 
the  Straits  of  Anian.  Vessel  repaired  near  San  Francisco  Bay. 
Relations  with  the  Indians.  Country  claimed  for  England.  Named 
New  Albion.  Farewell  to  the  Indians.  Reception  of  Drake  in 
England. 

III.     THE   MISSIONS   OF   ALTA   CALIFORNIA 

CHAPTER   X 

THE  DESIRE  OF  A  YOUTH     . 97 

Youth  of  Father  Serra.  Desire  to  be  a  missionary.  Friendship 
with  Fathers  Palou  and  Crespi.  Voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  Walk 
from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  city  of  Mexico.  Beginning  of  Father  Serra's 
long  illness. 


Contents 


CHAPTER   XI 

PAGE 

EXPEDITIONS  INTO  ALTA  CALIFORNIA   .        .       '.        .        .        .        .     101 

Determination  of  Spain  to  settle  Upper,  or  Alta,  California. 
Priests  permitted  to  accompany  soldiers.  Father  Serra  made  presi- 
dent of  the  missions  of  Alta  California.  Expeditions  started  by 
Governor  Galvez.  Father  Serra  delayed  by  illness.  His  visit  with 
Father  Palou.  His  illness  after  overtaking  the  company.  Arrival 
at  San  Diego. 

CHAPTER   XII 

FOUNDING  OF  SAN  DIEGO  MISSION 109 

Company  started  for  Monterey.  San  Diego  mission  founded. 
Greed  of  the  natives.  Their  thefts.  Attack  on  the  mission.  New 
hopes  of  converts.  Disappointments.  Father  Serra's  self-accu- 
sations. 

CHAPTER   XIII 

THE  SEARCH  FOR  MONTEREY  BAY 118 

Failure  to  recognize  the  bay.  San  Francisco  Bay  visited.  Dis- 
couragements. Return  to  San  Diego.  New  discouragements. 
Anxious  watch  for  the  San  Antonio.  Monterey  Bay  found. 
Establishment  of  the  mission.  Country  claimed  for  Spain. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

THE  LAST  DAYS  OF  FATHER  SERRA 125 

Father  Serra's  busy  life.  His  final  illness.  Arrival  of  Father 
Palou.  Death  of  Father  Serra.  Grief  of  the  Indians  and  the 
Spaniards. 

CHAPTER   XV 

LIFE  AT  THE  MISSIONS. 129 

Reasons  for  establishing  missions.  Supplies.  Founding  new 
missions.  Attempts  to  win  the  confidence  of  the  Indians.  Mission 
buildings.  Estates.  Early  sufferings.  Irrigation.  Daily  routine. 
The  Indians  under  the  orders  of  the  church.  Work  done  by  the 
Indians.  Their  teaching.  Punishments.  Amusements.  Old 
superstitions.  Hospitality  of  the  missionaries.  Gifts  from  visitors. 


8  Contents 

CHAPTER  XVI 

PAGE 

THE  SLAVERY  OF  THE  MISSIONS 152 

Failure  of  the  Spanish  king's  plan  for  the  missions.  Reasons. 
Meaning  of  "  mission  slavery."  Affection  between  the  Indians  and 
the  early  priests.  Two  periods  of  mission  history.  General  peace 
during  the  "era  of  calm."  Cruelty  and  rebellion  during  the  era  of 
resistance.  Approach  of  secularization. 

CHAPTER   XVII 

SECULARIZATION     .... 161 

Meaning  of  secularization.  Objections  of  the  priests  to  state 
control.  Untimely  knowledge  of  the  Indians  of  the  plan.  Law 
put  into  effect.  Results.  Indians  scattered.  Relapse  into  savagery. 
Ruin  of  the  mission  system. 

IV.     SPANISH    CALIFORNIA 

CHAPTER   XVIII 

LIFE  IN  THE  PUEBLOS  AND  ON  THE  RANCHES 171 

Pueblos.  Pueblo  of  Los  Angeles.  Food.  Entertainments. 
Dress.  Horses  and  horsemanship.  Carriages.  A  Spanish  school. 
Life  on  the  ranches.  Cattle  raising.  Rodeos.  Matanzas. 

CHAPTER   XIX 

FOREIGNERS  ON  THE  PACIFIC  COAST 191 

Foreigners  tempted  by  valuable  furs.  Contraband  trade.  Pirates. 
Illegal  trade  with  the  Russians  and  the  Americans.  Jedediah  S. 
Smith.  More  foreigners. 

CHAPTER   XX 

SPANISH  GOVERNORS  OF  CALIFORNIA 201 

Royal  governors  and  military  commanders.  Portola.  Borica. 
Sola.  Echeandia.  Victoria.  Three  governors  at  one  time. 
Figueroa.  Chico.  Guttierrez.  Revolution.  Independence  from 
Mexico.  Alvarado,  Vallejo,  and  Castro.  Return  to  Mexican  au- 
thority. Alvaraclo  again.  Micheltorena.  Seizure  and  restoration 
of  Monterey  by  Commodore  Jones.  More  rebellions.  Pio  Pico 
made  governor.  More  Americans. 


THE  SPANISH  IN  THE  SOUTHWEST 


I.     BEFORE    THE   COMING   OF    THE 
SPANISH 

CHAPTER   I 

INDIAN   LIFE   IN    CALIFORNIA 

BEFORE  white  people  came  to  California  there  were 
Indians  everywhere.  In  the  mountains,  on  the  sea- 
coast,  along  the  rivers,  were  the  rude  homes  of  the  dark- 
skinned  natives,  grouped  into  villages  in  each  of  which 
a  tribe  usually  lived.  They  were  a  happy,  jolly  people. 
They  liked  to  play  games,  to  laugh,  and  to  have  enough 
to  eat ;  but  they  rarely  worked  except  when  it  was  neces- 
sary to  hunt  food.  The  neighboring  tribes  had  so  little 
to  do  with  one  another  that  often  the  Indians  of  one 
village  could  not  understand  the  language  of  another  only 
a  few  miles  away. 

The  huts  were  scattered  along  the  streams  where  fish 
were  most  abundant ;  or  near  groves  of  trees  where  nuts 
or  acorns  grew ;  or  where  any  kind  of  food  was  to  be 
found.  They  were  built  in  different  ways.  In  those  parts 
of  California  where  there  were  few  trees  a  round  hole 
was  dug,  three  to  four  feet  deep  and  ten  to  twelve  feet 

9 


IO 


Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 


A  winter  hut 


across ;    poles   were    erected    around   the   edge   and  fast- 
ened  together   at  the  top ;    twigs  or  tules  were    woven 

into      the     framework 
thus     made,    or     mud 
was  plastered  over  the 
outside ;    a   small   hole 
was  left  at  the  bottom 
for  a  door,  and  another 
at   the  top   to   let   out 
the  smoke.     This  was 
the   warm   winter   hut, 
which     when    finished 
looked  like  a  big  bowl 
turned    upside     down. 
All  winter  long,  when    fires  were  burning,  the  hut  was 
close  and  filled  with    smoke.      As  a  result,  the  eyes  of 
the  Indians  were  often  badly  diseased.     Many  old  people 
had  very  sore  eyes,  or  they  became  totally  blind. 

The  Indians  were 
not  bothered  with  fur- 
niture. They  had  no 
beds,  chairs,  nor  tables. 
They  ate  with  fingers 
instead  of  forks.  They 
slept  on  the  floor. 
When  night  came,  fa- 
ther, mother,  and  chil- 
dren crept  in  through 
the  low  doorway, 
stretched  themselves  A  summer  hut 


Indian  Life  in  California 


i  i 


on  the  ground,  and  went  to  sleep.  There  was  no  attempt 
to  keep  the  floor  clean.  During  the  winter,  when  they 
ate  in  the  hut,  pieces  of  meat,  bones,  and  other  refuse 
were  thrown  around  until  even  the  Indians  could  no 
longer  endure  the  filth.  Then  the  old  place  was  burned 
down,  and  a  new  one  built.  If  the  spring  had  come, 
this  was  of  brushwood,  and  for  a  time,  at  least,  it  was 
clean. 

The  Indians  ate  almost  anything  that  was  not  poison 
ous.     Acorns,   grass    seeds,  nuts,  clover,  wild    oats,    ber- 
ries, —  whatever  was  in 
season.       They  caught 
fish,    and    hunted    and 
trapped  deer.    They  ate 
lizards,    rabbits,    frogs, 
grasshoppers,  and  even 
.repulsive  worms. 

The  acorns  and  grass 


Mortars  for  grinding  meal 


seeds     were     pounded 
into  a  kind   of    coarse 

meal.  This  was  work  for  the  women,  who  spent  the 
greater  part  of  their  time  gathering  and  preparing  food. 
Even  to-day,  if  one  goes  near  an  Indian  village  where 
the  old  ways  of  life  are  kept  up,  he  will  hear  a  steady 
"thump!  thump!"  It  is  the  women  and  girls  sitting 
on  the  ground,  pounding  meal  or  cracking  acorns  and 
nuts  with  stones.  The  mortars  in  which  they  ground  their 
meal  were  rude  stone  bowls  pounded  out  of  the  rock  by 
years  of  use.  The  pounding  was  done  with  long,  slender 
stones  called  pestles. 


12  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

The  Indians  who  lived  in  the  mountains  or  foothills 
did  not  always  take  the  trouble  to  make  mortars.  They 
pounded  the  acorns  and  nuts  on  some  flat  rock,  probably 
in  some  hole  already  there ;  as  month  after  month  and 
year  after  year  passed,  and  the  pounding  was  continued  in 
the  same  places,  holes  as  large  as  mortar  hollows  were 
made.  Some  rocks  have  a  large  number  of  such  bowls 
in  them,  showing  that  many  squaws  must  have  sat  near 
each  other  at  their  work.  Perhaps  they  laughed  and 
talked  as  they  pounded,  and  the  rock  may  have  been  their 
pleasantest  place  of  meeting  during  the  day. 

When  the  white  people  came  to  California,  the  Indians 
had  no  kettles.  They  used  baskets  in  which  to  cook  their 
food.  These  were  woven  so  tight  that  they  would  hold 
water,  but  they  could  not  be  placed  on  the  fire.  To 
cook  the  meal  a  basket  was  filled  with  water,  and  hot 
stones  were  then  dropped  into  it.  When  the  water  was 
almost  boiling,  the  stones  were  taken  out  and  the  meal 
put  in  and  stirred  constantly  until  the  mush  was  well 
cooked.  The  Indians  ate  their  mush  with  their  fingers. 
When  it  was  so  thick  that  it  could  be  taken  up  with  one 
finger,  it  was  called  one-finger  mush ;  and  it  was  two-finger 
or  three-finger  mush,  according  to  the  number  of  fingers 
necessary  to  make  the  spoon  for  dipping  it  out.  When- 
ever the  Indians  were  going  hunting  or  on  a  long  trip 
gathering  food,  a  basketful  of  cold  mush  was  carried  along 
on  the  back  of  some  squaw. 

Grasshoppers,  cooked  in  several  ways,  were  thought 
fine  eating.  Catching  them  was  usually  work  for  the 
women  and  children.  Dry  grass  was  drawn  into  a  heap, 


Indian  Life  in  California 


and  the  Indians  scattered  around  it  in  a  large  circle,  beat- 
ing the  grass  and  bushes.  The  grasshoppers  were  driven 
into  the  pile  of  dry  grass,  which  was  set  on  fire  at  all 
places  at  once.  Dry  as  tinder,  it  blazed  up  instantly, 
burned  fiercely  for  a  few  moments,  and  died  out,  leaving 
the  grasshoppers  roasted  on  the  ground.  Basketfuls  were 
picked  up  by  the  Indians  ;  they  were  either  eaten  as  they 
were  or  ground  fine  in  the  mortar  and  stirred  into  the 
mush.  This  was  a  favorite  dish. 

Gathering  grass  seeds  was  hard  work,  and  therefore 
was  usually  done  by 
the  women.  Early  in 
the  morning,  before  the 
man  of  the  family  was 
awake,  the  woman 
started  out  to  collect 
seeds  for  the  day.  Her 
cone-shaped  basket 


hung     on     her     back, 

supported    by   a   strap 

across     the     forehead. 

Her  scoop  basket  was 

in  her  hand.     Often  a 

child   or   two  clung  to 

her,  or  they,  too,  were 

carried  on  her  strong, 

broad    back.      Coming 

to  the  ripe  grass,   she 

whipped  off  the  seeds  with  her  scoop  and  threw  them 

over  her  shoulder  into  the  deep  basket.     When  this  was 


Pounding  the  grass  seed 


14  Before  the  Coming  of  tJte  Spanish 

full,  she  returned  home,  and  pounded  the  meal  for  the 
daily  mush. 

The  women  were  the  drudges  of  the  family,  especially 
in  gathering  and  preparing  food.  The  husbands  do  not 
seem  to  have  been  unkind  to  their  wives  and  children, 
except  that  by  their  laziness  they  shirked  nearly  all  of  the 
hard  work.  In  some  respects,  however,  they  were  kinder 
than  the  eastern  Indians;  for  when  they  hunted  and 
fished  they  carried  home  their  heavy  loads  themselves, 
instead  of  leaving  them  for  the  women. 

In  the  season  for  wild  ducks  and  geese  the  Indians  had 
merry  feasting.  The  whole  village  often  traveled  many 
miles  to  reach  the  rivers,  ponds,  and  swamps  visited  by 
these  birds.  There  were  some  strange  ways  of  catching 
them.  One  tribe  used  to  scatter  on  the  bottom  of  a 
shallow  stream  red  berries  which  they  knew  the  ducks 
liked.  A  net  was  stretched  over  them  a  few  inches  under 
the  water,  and  a  decoy  was  placed.  Then  the  Indians 
waited  for  a  real  duck  to  come  along  and  dive  for  the 
tempting  bait.  A  berry  might  be  picked  up,  but  as  the 
duck  tried  to  raise  his  head,  he  twisted  it  in  the  net; 
before  he  could  loosen  it  he  was  drowned.  Thus  held 
fast,  he  served  for  another  decoy,  and  the  Indians  soon 
had  ducks  enough  for  several  meals  with  very  little 
trouble  to  themselves. 

A  trick  was  played  on  the  deer  also.  An  Indian  put 
on  a  deer's  head  and  antlers,  and  crept  toward  the  feeding 
place.  He  was  careful  to  make  no  noise,  and  not  to  be 
seen.  When  he  was  very  near  he  raised  his  head  under 
the  antlers  which  he  wore,  and  pretended  to  be  eating 


Indian  Life  in  California  15 

grass.  The  deer  were  curious ;  they  stopped  eating  to 
look  at  the  newcomer;  but  the  Indian  kept  quietly  on 
as  if  he  were  really  feeding.  Finally  the  deer  felt  so 
sure  that  this  was  an  animal  like  themselves  that  they 
were  no  longer  afraid  of  him.  Then-  the  Indian  crept 
nearer  and  nearer  until  he  could  send  an  arrow  straight 
home  to  the  life  of  a  deer.  In  this  way  two  or  three 


Deer  stalking 

might  be  shot  before   the   trick  was  discovered   and  the 
herd  took  to  flight. 

The  Indians  thought  it  great  sport  to  run  down  game. 
They  even  ran  down  deer.  This  was  not  so  hard  as  it 
seems,  for  the  Indians  knew  the  trails,  and  men  as  well 
as  boys  shared  in  the  sport.  Runners  were  put  in  relays 
along  the  trails.  One  Indian  started  up  a  deer  and  ran 


16  Before  Vhe  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

after  him  as  long  as  he  could,  or  until  he  came  to  the 
place  where  the  second  runner  was  waiting.  This  one 
took  up  the  chase,  and  the  first  one  rested.  So  they  kept 
it  up  until  the  animal  was  tired  out;  then  he  was  killed 
and  the  meat  carried  home. 

Rabbits  and  other  small  animals  were  frequently  run 
down.  A  company  of  men  and  boys  spread  out  in  a  sort 
of  circle  around  the  place  where  they  knew  that  a  rabbit 
was  hiding.  They  began  to  shout,  to  caper,  to  beat  the 
grass  and  bushes,  and  to  make  hideous  noises.  The 
frightened  rabbit  ran,  became  perplexed  by  his  many 
tormentors,  and  if  not  really  frightened  to  death,  he  was 
soon  so  confused  that  he  was  easily  caught  and  killed. 

In  some  parts  of  California,  catching  salmon  was  a 
great  event  of  the  year.  At  certain  seasons  these  fish 
come  up  the  rivers  from  the  sea ;  and  in  the  days  before 
the  white  men  had  muddied  the  waters  of  the  rivers  with 
their  mining,  the  salmon  were  sometimes  so  numerous 
that  there  was  hardly  room  enough  for  them  in  the  water. 
One  tribe  in  the  northern  part  of  California  had  an  easy 
way  of  catching  salmon.  Going  to  a  river  where  there 
were  many  fish,  the  men  built  a  booth  out  over  the  water, 
covered  it  with  brushwood,  and  laid  a  rude  floor.  Here 
an  Indian  slept  at  night,  waiting  for  the  fish.  Near  the 
booth,  in  the  stream,  a  net  was  stretched,  and  a  string 
was  taken  from  it  to  the  Indian's  hand,  to  which  it  was 
tied  fast.  If  a  salmon  got  into  the  net  at  night  and 
began  to  flounder,  the  jerking  on  the  string  wakened 
the  Indian.  The  fish  was  brought  on  shore,  and  the  net 
set  again. 


Indian  Life  in  California  *7 

In  other  parts  also  of  California  fishing  meant  great  fun 
for  the  Indians.  The  sport  was  to  drive  the  fish  into  a 
pool  from  which  they  could  not  escape.  In  some  shallow 
stream  a  dam  was  built  just  below  a  deep  pool.  The  men 
and  boys  went  up  the  brook  a  mile  or  so  to  drive  the  fish 
down  toward  the  dam.  Going  into  the  water,  they  waded 
around,  splashing  and  stamping,  shouting  and  throwing 
water  on  each  other,  and  making  all  the  noise  possible. 
The  frightened  fish  hurried  away  from  the  clamor,  swam 
down  the  stream,  and  consequently  went  into  the  pool, 
where  they  gladly  hid  in  the  deeper  water.  The  Indians 
quickly  followed  them  and  built  a  second  dam  above  the 
pool,  making  the  fish  their  prisoners.  This  was  what  they 
wanted,  for  now,  whenever  they  needed  fish  to  eat  they 
went  down  to  the  pool  and  picked  them  out.  Such  feast- 
ing did  not  last  long,  however,  for  the  Indians  were  great 
gluttons.  Whenever  they  had  anything  extra  they  did  not 
know  how  to  save  it  up,  but  hardly  stopped  eating  until 
the  dainty  was  gone. 

The  Indians  who  lived  on  the  plains  and  in  the  valleys 
wore  little  clothing  ;  but  those  who  were  in  the  mountains 
or  the  colder  parts  of  California  wore  skins  of  animals  or 
blankets  of  braided  grass.  For  everyday  wear  their 
dresses  were  very  rude,  but  for  festivals  they  were 
trimmed  quite  elaborately  according  to  an  Indian's  taste. 
They  used  beautiful  white .  down  from  the  owl,  glossy 
black  feathers  from  the  eagle,  and  the  brilliant  red 
scalps  of  woodpeckers.  The  last  were  so  rare  that 
only  the  great  men  of  the  tribe  could  afford  them. 
Ornaments  were  made  from  shells  and  feathers,  and, 

SPAN.   IN    SOUTHWEST  —  2 


i8 


Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 


after  the  coming  of  the  white  men, 
beads  were  the  best-liked  adornment. 
Nearly  all  the  California  Indi- 
ans liked  to  bathe.  Every  morn- 
ing they  went  to  the  river  or 
creek  near  the  village  and 
took  a  plunge  into  the 
cold  water ;  but  in  spite 
of  their  daily  baths  they 
were  never  clean. 
The  different  tribes  often 
quarreled  over  silly  trifles, 
and  had  many  battles  with 
each  other.  Their  wars 
were  seldom  as  serious  as 
those  of  the  eastern  In- 
dians, who  sometimes  kept 
up  hostilities  with  each 
other  until  a  whole  tribe 
was  killed  off.  The  Cali- 
fornia Indians  fought 
easily,  but  not  long  at  a  time.  One  tribe  might  think  that 
another  had  taken  acorns  from  its  trees ;  or  the  men  of 
one  village  might  say  that  those  of  another  had  made  fun 
of  them  and  insulted  them.  Either  excuse  was  enough  to 
cause  a  battle  between  the  tribes. 

The  chief  could  not  declare  war,  but  he  called  the  men 
together  and  asked  them  if  they  wanted  to  fight  their 
enemies.  If  they  did,  everybody  hurried  off  to  get  ready. 
Bows  were  brought  out  and  tried  ;  quivers  were  opened  to 


Indian  dressed  for  a  festival 


Indian  Life  in  California  19 

see  if  there  were  plenty  of  arrows.  The  women  made  up 
more  acorn  mush  than  usual,  and  packed  it  away  in  their 
deep,  pointed  baskets.  When  everything  was  prepared, 
the  men  took  their  weapons,  the  women  strapped  on  their 
backs  the  heavy  baskets  of  bread,  usually  with  a  baby  on 
top,  and  the  whole  tribe,  children  included,  went  to  the 
battle. 

As  little  noise  as  possible  was  made,  so  that  the  other 
Indians  would  not  know  that  the  enemy  was  coming. 
Surprise  was  an  easy  way  of  conquering.  When  near  the 
enemy's  village  all  kinds  of  hideous  cries  were  suddenly 
made  to  frighten  the  people  into  believing  that  a  very 
large  force  was  on  its  way  to  make  an  attack.  As  the 
fighting  progressed,  the  women  and  children  made  them- 
selves useful.  When  the  arrows  began  to  be  scarce,  they 
ran  out  on  the  field  of  battle,  picked  up  those  that  had 
been  used,  and  brought  them  back  for  the  men  to  shoot 
again. 

Such  a  battle  never  lasted  long.  As  soon  as  blood  was 
shed,  or  a  few  warriors  had  been  killed,  everybody  was 
ready  to  go  home,  and  the  war  was  over.  California 
Indians  would  rather  enjoy  life  than  go  to  war.  Of  course 
there  were  times  when  more  severe  fighting  was  required. 
Then  the  women  and  children  stayed  at  home,  and  many 
men  were  killed ;  but  for  an  Indian  country  there  was 
very  little  warfare. 

Some  people  think  that  the  Indians  were  usually  well 
and  happy,  but  that  was  not  the  case.  They  were  often 
very  sick,  and  after  the  white  people  came  the  savages 
were  always  begging  for  medicines.  They  had  sore  eyes 


2O  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

from  the  smoky  huts  in  which  they  passed  the  winters. 
Those  who  lived  near  the  rivers  had  rheumatism  and 
malarial  fevers.  After  the  coming  of  the  Spaniards  and 
the  Americans,  smallpox  sometimes  swept  over  the  country, 
and  its  victims  were  always  counted  by  the  hundreds. 

There  were  many  medicine  men  among  the  Indians. 
They  were  the  great  men  of  a  village,  and  their  power  to 
cure  sickness  was  never  doubted.  One  of  their  ways  of 
doctoring  was  to  try  to  bring  out  an  evil  spirit,  which  they 
said  had  gone  into  the  sick  man.  In  order  to  do  this,  one, 
and  sometimes  two,  medicine  men  came  to  suck  out  the 
spirit.  Sickness  was  also  said  to  be  caused  by  a  stick, 
bone,  hair,  or  thorn  which  had  gotten  into  the  body ;  but 
the  treatment  was  the  same  as  when  the  evil  spirit  was  to 
be  drawn  out.  The  medicine  men  danced,  tossed  their 
hands  and  arms  wildly,  and  blew  toward  the  north,  east, 
south,  and  west.  They  worked  the  patient  up  to  such  an 
excitement  that  it  is  a  wonder  he  did  not  die.  Then  the 
real  treatment  began.  A  medicine  man  put  his  lips  to  the 
place  where  the  sick  man  felt  the  greatest  pain,  and  com- 
menced to  suck  out  what  the  Indians  thought  was  the  poison. 
At  last  the  medicine  man  showed  a  bone,  a  hair,  or  even  a 
frog,  which  he  pretended  he  had  drawn  out  of  the  body. 
If  this  did  not  bring  about  a  cure,  the  sufferer  was  laid  on 
a  bed  of  sand  and  ashes,  vessels  of  food  and  water  were 
put  at  his  head,  and  a  fire  was  kept  burning  at  his  feet. 
Thinking  that  everything  possible  had  now  been  done, 
friends  gathered  around  and  anxiously  watched  to  see  if 
the  sick  man  was  going  to  live  or  die. 

The  sweat  house,  or  temescal,  was  another  means  used 


Indian  Life  in  California  21 

by  the  Indians  to  cure  their  diseases.  It  must  have  been 
worse  than  the  medicine  men.  The  sweat  house  was 
shaped  like  the  living  houses,  except  that  it  was  larger 
and  was  dug  out  deeper,  so  that  half,  or  even  more,  of  the 
hut  was  underground.  The  roof  was  covered  with  clay  so 
thick  that  hardly  a  breath  of  fresh  air  could  get  through. 
When  the  Indians  wished  to  use  the  sweat  house,  they 
went  inside,  closed  the  door,  and  built  a  hot  fire.  Then 
they  danced  some  solemn,  religious  measures,  or  sat  on 
the  floor  while  the  fire  burned  up  bright  and  fierce.  The 
room  soon  became  so  warm  that  every  one  was  dripping 
wet  with  perspiration  ;  the  air  was  so  impure  that  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  breathe ;  the  dancers  were  ex- 
hausted ;  but  all  stayed  until  they  could  no  longer  endure 
the  heat  and  the  foul  air.  Then  the  Indians  made  a  rush 
for  the  door ;  they  burst  outside,  the  strong  often  carrying 
the  weak ;  they  ran,  never  stopping,  until  they  could  throw 
themselves  into  a  stream  of  cold  water,  near  which  the 
sweat  house  was  usually  built.  Harsh  as  was  the  treat- 
ment, many  Indians  were  cured  by  it  of  their  diseases, 
although  many  others  were  killed. 

The  lazy,  fun-loving  Indians  liked  to  play  games.  Men 
and  boys  often  stayed  around  the  wick-i-ups,  or  huts,  all 
day  long,  doing  nothing  but  sleeping  and  playing.  A 
favorite  game  was  one  called  "takersia."  To  play  it,  a 
large,  level  piece  of  ground  was  chosen ;  it  was  carefully 
cleared  of  grass,  weeds,  logs,  and  sticks ;  a  space  about 
twenty  feet  square  was  staked  off,  and  the  ground  was 
ready  for  the  game.  A  small  hoop  about  three  inches  in 
diameter  was  ma<Je.  Two  players  went  on  the  ground, 


22  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

each  with  a  small  stick  in  his  hand,  and  watched  closely 
to  see  how  and  where  the  hoop  was  to  be  thrown.  After 
many  false  moves  to  take  the  players  off  their  guard, 
some  one  sent  the  hoop  rolling  swiftly  across  the  open 
space.  In  an  instant  the  two  sticks  shot  forward.  If 
they  fell  short  or  passed  over  the  hoop,  the  game  was 
lost ;  if  a  stick  went  through  the  ring  but  knocked  it  over, 
one  point  was  gained ;  while  if  a  deft  player  sent  his  stick 
through  the  rolling  hoop  without  touching  it,  he  gained 
two  points.  The  game  was  short,  as  only  three  points  had 
to  be  won  by  any  person. 

The  Indians  probably  took  turns  on  the  field,  but  the 
most  skillful  soon  became  the  favorites.  The  onlookers 
watched  the  merry  performances  with  the  greatest  delight, 
shouting  and  cheering  at  the  best  moves,  and  laughing 
heartily  when  some  one  was  taken  off  his  guard  by  the 
tossers  of  the  hoop. 

Another  noisy  game,  somewhat  like  our  "  shinny,"  was 
played  with  a  ball  of  hard  wood.  Old  and  young  enjoyed 
it,  but  it  was  usually  left  to  the  boys  and  girls.  The 
players  were  divided  into  two  sides,  each  having  a  base. 
Each  group  struggled  hard  to  send  the  ball  over  the 
enemy's  base.  As  the  small  piece  of  wood  started  across 
the  field,  there  was  the  greatest  excitement,  expressed  by 
howls  and  whoops.  Even  some  of  the  bystanders  seized 
sticks  and  rushed  into  the  game  on  one  side  or  the  other, 
while  those  who  resisted  the  excitement  and  watched  the 
rest,  shouted  and  cheered  on  the  favorites.  The  crowd  of 
men,  boys,  and  girls  pushed  and  raced  across  the  field, 
driving  the  ball  now  this  way,  now  that,  until  some  lucky 


Indian  Life  in  California  23 

player  sent  it  over  the  enemy's  base,  and  the  game  was 
won.  A  hundred  or  more  players  were  sometimes  on  the 
field  at  once.  Many  a  knock  was  given  and  taken,  but  no 
one  seemed  to  mind.  Indian  boys  learned  to  stand  hard 
hits  without  grumbling. 

The  children  had  great  sport  when  the  clover  was  in 
blossom.  Out  into  the  sunshine  they  went,  hunting  a 
clover  patch.  When  one  was  found  with  rich,  honey-filled 
heads  of  blossoms,  the  children  formed  themselves  into  a 
large  ring,  pulled  up  some  of  the  heads,  and  made  them 
into  a  ball.  Then  the  fun  began.  Away  went  the  clover, 
tossed  by  the  brown  little  hands ;  away  went  the  children 
after  it  with  their  mouths  wide  open,  for  the  game  was  to 
catch  the  ball  in  the  mouth.  What  shouts  and  screams  of 
fun !  Every  open  mouth  was  struggling  to  get  the  sweet, 
juicy  clover  heads,  and  the  child  who  finally  caught  it  was 
given  the  clover  to  eat. 

To  change  the  game,  a  child  was  sometimes  made  to 
close  his  eyes,  open  his  mouth,  and  wait  for  his  playmates 
to  throw  him  a  ball  of  clover.  If  only  soft  blossoms  were 
thrown,  the  victim  might  be  glad,  for  the  temptation  was 
too  great  for  the  fun-loving  Indian  lads.  Many  a  clod  of 
dirt,  a  stick,  or  even  a  stone  found  its  way  into  the  wait- 
ing mouth.  So  with  shouts  of  laughter  the  play  went  mer- 
rily on  until  every  one  was  tired  out. 

Learning  to  fish,  to  hunt,  and  to  swim  were  almost  like 
games  to  the  Indian  children.  The  natives  on  the  Sacra- 
mento River  used  to  teach  their  children  to  swim  when 
they  were  only  a  few  weeks  old.  A  father  took  his  baby 
down  to  the  river  and,  holding  him  on  his  hands,  put 


24  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

him  into  the  water.  The  little  fellow  was  held  so  closely 
that  he  could  not  drown ;  and,  like  a  small  frog,  his 
kicks  and  plunges  soon  taught  him  to  swim. 

These  Indians  used  to  ride  on  the  river  and  even  on  the 
bay  on  their  tule  rafts.  It  was  often  riding  in  the  river ; 
for,  sitting  astride  of  the  long,  cigar-shaped  raft,  the  feet 
hung  down  in  the  water.  If  the*  raft  rolled  and  tipped  off 


Mission  Indians 

the  rider,  he  seemed  to  care  no  more  than  if  he  had 
stumbled  and  fallen  on  land ;  for  these  Indians  could  swim 
long  distances  and  were  no  more  afraid  of  water  than  are 
fish. 

When  the  Spanish  came,  California  was  full  of  Indians, 
—  happy,  easy-going,  good-natured.  With  no  hard  work 
to  wear  them  out,  no  long,  cruel  wars  to  kill  them  off,  and 
in  a  country  that  gave  them  food  so  easily,  the  Indians 
often  lived  to  be  a  hundred  years  old  or  more.  These 


Indian  Life  in  California  25 

happy  conditions  were  not  greatly  changed  during  the 
time  of  the  Spanish.  But  when  at  length  the  Americans 
occupied  the  country,  they  seemed  to  bring  death  to  the 
poor  natives.  The  two  races  could  not  live  together.  The 
brown-skinned  Indians  were  the  weaker  of  the  two,  and 
they  faded  away  before  the  white  men  ;  they  disappeared 
like  melting  snow  in  a  rapidly  rushing  mountain  stream. 
To-day  not  many  are  left  of  the  thousands  that  less  than 
a  hundred  years  ago  thronged  our  fertile,  sunny  state. 

There  were  no  great  wars  between  the  Indians  and  the  white 
men,  but  many  on  both  sides  lost  their  lives  in  the  efforts 
to  hold  land.  The  natives  could  not  live  as  did  the  Ameri- 
cans. They  were  easily  subject  to  contagious  diseases,  and 
a  whole  village  might  be  carried  off  by  a  plague  of  smallpox 
or  fever.  They  tried  to  wear  the  clothes  of  the  newcomers  ; 
but  not  knowing  how  to  dress  for  different  seasons,  they 
took  cold  and  died  from  all  kinds  of  lung  troubles.  They 
drank  the  white  man's  whisky,  and  strong  drink  soon 
carried  off  its  victims.  Food  became  scarce,  for  great 
stock  ranges  and  wheat  ranches  took  the  place  of  the  open 
country  where  the  Indians  had  hunted  wild  animals  or 
found  insects  and  roots.  Pigs  ate  the  acorns  that  had  been 
the  bread  of  the  Indians ;  the  salmon  no  longer  came  up 
from  the  ocean ;  the  deer  fled  to  the  mountains.  Slowly 
the  Indians  disappeared  from  the  great  valleys  which  had 
become  the  homes  of  the  white  men.  To-day  they  are 
rarely  to  be  seen  except  in  the  mountains. 

Many  white  men  were  kind  to  the  Indians  whose  homes 
had  been  taken.  Villages  were  built  for  them,  and  the 
simple-hearted  natives  were  proud  to  call  themselves  by 


26  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

the  name  of  their  protector:  as,  Bidwell's  Indians,  Red- 
ding's  Indians.  But  life  was  harder  in  many  ways,  and 
the  Indian  went  down  in  the  struggle. 

To-day  there  are  a  number  of  schools  in  California 
where  the  Indian  boys  and  girls  are  taught  many  things 
which  the  white  children  learn.  It  may  not  be  long  before 
the  young  people  will  forget  or  never  be  told  that  their 
fathers  once  owned  all  of  California  from  the  mountains 
of  Siskiyou  to  the  deserts  of  San  Diego ;  and  they  may  be 
as  happy  in  the  ways  of  the  white  men  as  their  fathers 
were  in  their  wild,  free  Indian  life. 

QUESTIONS.  —  Was  life  difficult  or  easy  for  the  Indians  of  California  ? 
Why  ?  Why  did  the  Indians  move  from  place  to  place  ?  Where  were 
they  most  liable  to  move  ?  What  amusements  did  the  Indians  have  ? 
How  did  they  act  toward  each  other  in  their  games  ?  Did  they  care 
about  fine  dress  ?  How  about  their  everyday  clothing  ? 

In  what  part  of  their  life  did  the  Indians  show  shrewdness  ?  Their 
enjoyment  of  society  ?  What  other  traits  of  character  can  be  men- 
tioned ?  In  what  way  was  each  one  shown  ? 

What  caused  diseases  among  the  Indians  ?  How  did  they  try  to 
cure  them  ?  What  help  were  they  glad  to  get  from  the  white  men  ? 


CHAPTER   II 
INDIAN    LEGENDS 

THE  California  Indians  had  a  great  many  legends,  the 
most  of  which  were  very  simple.  Some  were  quaint 
fancies,  the  answers  of  the  savages  to  such  questions  as 
how  the  world  had  been  made,  why  the  sun  rose  and  set, 
where  the  mountains  came  from,  what  lighted  the  fire  in 
the  stars.  Nearly  all  these  legends  had  something  in 
them  about  animals,  but  the  coyote  was  always  the  favor- 
ite, probably  because  of  his  cunning.  In  some  stories  he 
helped  make  the  world,  or  he  was  the  creator  of  man. 
He  was  generally  the  friend  of  the  Indian,  bringing  him 
help  and  knowledge.  Legends  told  in  different  parts  of 
the  country  often  contradicted  each  other,  for  the  Indians 
who  lived  in  one  place  probably  knew  nothing  of  the 
lives  and  stories  of  those  who  lived  a  few  miles  away. 

LEGEND    OF    THE    CREATION 

Once  there  was  no  earth,  but  only  a  great  body  of  water 
that  stretched  as  far  as  one  could  see  in  all  directions. 
Man  had  not  yet  been  created;  and,  except  the  coyote 
and  his  companion,  the  eagle,  there  were  no  animals. 
The  coyote  grew  tired  of  being  alone  so  much  of  the  time 
when  the  eagle  was  away  on  his  long  flights,  and  he  began 

27 


28  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

to  scratch  in  the  air  with  his  claws.  Something  seemed  to 
appear  out  of  the  nothingness  around  him.  He  watched 
it  in  surprise ;  he  was  making  the  earth.  He  kept  on 
scratching,  and  finally  land  appeared.  Coyote  was 
pleased,  but  the  eagle,  coming  home,  found  fault. 

"This  will  never  do,"  he  said  to  the  coyote.  "There 
is  no  place  for  me  to  rest.  You  must  make  some  moun- 
tains." 

The  coyote  began  to  scratch  again,  and  made  some  hills 
for  the  eagle. 

"  These  are  not  high  enough  for  me,"  said  the  eagle, 
angrily.  "  Make  me  some  mountains  which  shall  be  high 
above  the  level  of  the  earth." 

"  I  am  sorry  that  my  mountains  do  not  suit  you,"  an- 
swered the  coyote,  "  but  I  am  tired  and  I  really  cannot  do 
any  more  to-day." 

So  he  went  to  sleep,  too  lazy  to  do  anything  more  to 
the  world.  It  was  good  enough  for  him  just  as  it  was, 
and  if  the  eagle  wanted  it  improved,  the  coyote  thought 
that  he  could  do  it  for  himself.  The  eagle  saw  that  the 
coyote  had  gone  to  sleep,  and  as  he  wanted  the  mountains 
at  once,  he  decided  not  to  wait  for  the  lazy  animal  to  wake 
up.  He  began  to  scratch  with  his  feet,  and  the  mountains 
grew  higher  and  higher,  until  even  the  eagle  was  satisfied 
with  their  size. 

When  he  saw  them  rising  up  toward  the  sky  he  said, 
"  How  bare  they  are.  I  must  plant  trees  on  them." 

He  flew  slowly  over  the  mountains  and  then  slowly 
back  again.  As  he  moved,  many  of  his  feathers  fell  to  the 
ground.  The  large  ones  grew  up  into  great  trees,  and  the 


Indian  Legends  29 

little  pin  feathers  became  bushes  and  plants.  The  eagle 
was  happy  when  he  saw  the  result  of  his  work.  He  flew 
away  over  the  land,  perching  on  his  mountains  when  he 
was  tired,  and  making  his  nest  on  high  cliffs  far  out  of 
reach  of  all  the  animals. 

HOW    MAN    WAS    MADE 

When  the  coyote  had  finished  making  the  world  and  all 
the  animals,  he  was  ready  to  make  man.  But  how  should 
he  create  so  wonderful  a  being !  Cunning  as  he  was, 


Tne  council  of  animals 

coyote  hesitated  about  trying  all  alone  to  make  man  ;  so  he 
called  in  the  other  animals  to  give  him  their  advice.  They 
sat  down  around  him,  the  mountain  lion  at  their  head. 

"  How   shall  we   make   this    mighty   creature,    man  ? " 
coyote  asked. 


3O  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

Up  spoke  the  mountain  lion  with  a  great  roar.  "  He 
must  have  a  strong  voice,"  said  he,  "so  that  everything 
in  the  forest  can  hear  him  and  be  afraid." 

The  grizzly  bear  said,  "  Nonsense !  "  and  shook  his  big, 
shaggy  head.  "  Such  a  voice  would  scare  away  the  very 
animals  that  he  wanted  to  kill.  Man  must  be  very  strong, 
able  to  kill  his  prey  when  he  catches  it." 

So  it  went  all  around  the  circle  of  advisers.  The  deer 
thought  that  man  should  have  antlers,  thin  ears,  and  sharp 
eyes.  The  beaver  thought  that  a  broad,  flat  tail  was  nec- 
essary for  carrying  mud  and  sand.  The  owl  hooted  out, 
"  Give  him  wings,  of  course !  How  can  he  live  without 
wings  ? "  Even  the  little  mouse  squeaked  out  his  ideas 
about  making  man. 

The  coyote  listened  until  he  lost  patience.  "You  are 
all  wrong,"  said  he.  "  Man  must  not  be  like  any  of  you ; 
he  must  have  the  good  points  of  every  one  of  us." 

So  they  quarreled.  The  coyote  bit  a  piece  out  of  the 
beaver's  cheek ;  the  owl  flew  on  the  coyote's  head  and 
tore  it  with  his  claws.  Not  one  would  give  up  his  idea  of 
how  man  was  to  be  made. 

"  I  will  make  a  man  myself !  "  said  each  one  at  last ;  but 
they  had  talked  and  quarreled  so  long  that  it  was  almost 
dark  before  any  one  could  commence  his  work  of  creation. 
They  all  made  a  start,  and  then  went  to  sleep,  leaving 
their  work  for  the  next  day. 

Sly  coyote  did  not  sleep.  When  he  thought  that  the 
other  animals  would  not  wake  up,  he  went  softly  around 
and  poured  water  on  their  models  and  spoiled  them.  Then 
he  worked  hard  all  night,  and  finished  his  before  sunrise ; 


Indian  Legends  31 

he  gave  it  life,  and  when  the  sleepy  animals  were  finally 
awake,  the  coyote's  man  was  living.  He  was  not  like  any 
animal,  but  had  the  good  points  of  all,  just  as  the  coyote 
had  said  in  the  council. 

COYOTE'S  CUNNING 

The  Indians  knew  that  the  coyote  was  very  cunning. 
They  liked  to  watch  him,  and  to  tell  stories  about  his 
goodness  to  the  Indians  ;  but  they  laughed  at  him  and 
made  fun  of  his  tricks.  The  squaws  told  the  children 
many  of  these  stories,  as  they  sat  around  the  fire  in  their 
warm  huts  on  the  chilly,  rainy  days  of  winter. 
Here  is  one  of  them. 

The  Great  Spirit  sat  on  his  sacred  stool  and 
rested.  He  was  very  tired,  for  he  had  just 
finished  making  the  world  and  the  animals. 
Last  of  all,  he  had  made  a  man,  who  was, 
of  course,  an  Indian. 

'•  Now,"    said   the    Great   Spirit,    "  man,    you 
shall    tell    the   animals  what   to   eat   and  what 
to  do.      I  will   call   them   together,  and   they 
shall  walk  in  front  of  you  so  that  you  can 
see  them.     Then  you  will  know  what  to  say 
to  them." 

The  Great  Spirit  told  the  animals  that  they 
were  to  be  ready  to  meet  the  man  the  next       Bow  and  arrows 
morning.     Then  he  turned  to  the  Indian. 

"Make  bows  and  arrows,"  said  he,  "as  many  as  there 
are  animals.  When  they  march  in  front  of  you  to-morrow, 
give  one  to  each.  Give  the  longest  bow  and  arrow  to  the 


32  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

animal  which  is  to  have  the  most  power ;  give  the  shortest 
to  the  one  which  is  to  be  weakest." 

The  animals  met  that  night,  so  that  they  might  sleep  in 
one  place  and  be  ready  to  go  together  to  the  man  the  next 
morning.  All  went  to  sleep  but  the  cunning  coyote.  He 
was  planning  how  to  get  the  longest  bow  and  arrow. 

"  I  will  not  sleep,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  I  will  keep 
awake  all  night,  so  that  I  shall  be  first  in  the  morning. 
Then  the  man  will  give  me  the  longest  bow,  and  I  shall  be 
the  strongest  animal  in  the  world." 

His  eyes  shone  as  he  looked  at  his  companions.  The 
grizzly  bear  was  fast  asleep.  The  timid  deer  started  at 
every  rustle,  and  glanced  fearfully  around.  The  little 
field  mouse  peeped  from  under  a  bush,  and  ran  a  little 
farther  away  before  it  dared  settle  down  to  sleep.  The 
coyote  stretched  his  thin  snout  on  his  fore  paws,  shut  his 
eyes,  and  waited. 

"Ha,  ha!"  laughed  he.  "These  stupid  animals  will 
soon  be  asleep,  but  I  shall  keep  awake  until  I  have  that 
bow  and  arrow.  Then  I  shall  be  a  match  for  even  old 
Grizzly-skin  himself." 

He  would  have  liked  to  tweak  the  ear  of  the  old  bear, 
but  he  was  afraid  of  a  cuff  from  the  big,  flat  paw ;  so  he 
lay  still  and  waited. 

"  Hi !  how  hard  it  is  to  keep  awake ! "  he  muttered. 
"  How  old  Grizzly  snores !  Til  take  a  little  walk  just  to 
keep  my  eyes  open."  He  crept  slowly  out,  but  still  he 
was  sleepy.  "  I'll  run,"  thought  the  coyote.  But  he 
stepped  on  a  dry  twig ;  it  broke  with  a  snap.  Up  sprang 
the  deer,  wide  awake  in  an  instant.  The  coyote  jumped 


Indian  Legends  33 

back  and  stepped  on  the  rattlesnake,  who  set  up  his 
hideous  warning. 

"  Keep  still,  old  fellow,"  whispered  the  coyote. 

It  was  too  late.  All  the  animals  were  stirring,  and 
the  coyote  had  to  lie  down  or  they  would  soon  be  wide 
awake.  There  was  one  comfort  for  the  coyote.  He 
saw  a  bright  star  in  the  sky,  which  he  knew  was  the 
morning  star. 

"  If  I  can  keep  my  eyes  open  just  a  little  while  longer, 
it  will  be  daylight,"  thought  he;  but  he  was  so  sleepy 
that  both  eyes  shut  in  spite  of  himself.  Coyote  shook  his 
head  angrily. 

"This  will  never  do.  I  shall  go  to  sleep,  no  matter 
how  hard  I  try  not  to." 

He  stretched  out  his  fore  paw  sleepily  and  yawned.  He 
started  as  his  paw  touched  a  dry  branch  on  the  ground. 

"Aha!"  said  he,  softly.  "The  animals  say  that  I  am 
cunning.  I'll  show  them  that  I  am  more  clever  than  they 
dream." 

He  drew  the  stick  toward  him,  gently  broke  off  two 
small  pieces,  and  sharpened  them  at  the  ends.  Then  he 
opened  his  eyes  wide,  and  put  the  sticks  in  so  that  they 
would  prop  up  his  eyelids. 

" Now,"  said  the  cunning  coyote,"!  can  take  a  little  nap, 
and  still  watch  the  morning  star." 

He  was  so  sleepy  that  he  could  not  keep  awake  another 
moment.  Down  pressed  his  eyelids  on  the  sticks.  Slowly 
the  sharp  ends  pricked  through.  The  coyote  did  not 
know  it ;  he  was  so  sound  asleep  that  he  did  not  feel  the 
pricks.  Up  climbed  the  morning  star ;  down  went  the  eye- 

SPAN.   IN   SOUTHWEST  —  3 


34  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

lids  until  they  were  pinned  fast  together  by  the  sticks  that 
were  to  have  held  them  apart. 

Paler  grew  the  star,  nearer  came  the  sun.  The  birds 
began  to  twitter  softly.  The  animals  yawned  and  stretched. 
Just  as  the  sun  looked  over  the  mountain,  all  the  animals 
but  the  coyote  went  out  to  meet  the  man.  The  last  to 
creep  away  was  the  poor  little  frog.  He  was  the  weakest 
of  the  animals,  and  should  have  had  the  very  smallest 
bow.  But  when  he  had  received  his,  the  man  still  held 
the  smallest  one  in  his  hand. 

"  What  animal  have  I  missed  ?  "  cried  the  man. 

The  animals,  looking  around  in  surprise,  saw  the  coyote 
lying  with  his  head  on  his  fore  paws,  fast  asleep,  his  eye- 
lids pinned  together  by  the  sharp  sticks.  How  they 
shouted  and  laughed ! 

"  See  the  coyote  !  "  they  screamed.  "  See  the  cunning 
coyote  !  He  is  beaten  this  time  !  " 

They  ran  to  him,  jumped  on  him,  danced  around  him, 
and  laughed  themselves  hoarse  at  his  plight.  The  man 
was  sorry  for  the  poor  coyote.  He  pulled  out  the  sharp 
sticks,  and  gave  him  the  only  bow  that  was  left,  the  short- 
est one  of  all. 

Disappointed  coyote  !  He  was  to  be  the  weakest  of  the 
animals.  Again  the  man  was  full  of  pity.  He  had  no 
strong  bow  left,  so  he  prayed  to  the  Great  Spirit  to  send 
some  other  gift ;  and  in  answer  to  his  petition  the  coyote 
was  made  ten  times  more  cunning  than  before.  Coyote 
never  forgot  this  kindness,  and  in  return  he  always  helped 
the  man  and  his  children. 


Indian  Legends  35 

HOW   FIRE   WAS    BROUGHT   TO   THE    INDIANS 

After  man  was  on  earth,  the  coyote  began  to  plan  to 
show  him  some  great  favor.  The  god  of  the  Indians  had 
made  fire  and  hidden  it  away  in  a  casket,  guarded  by  two 
women,  very  old  and  very  ugly.  They  lived  far  away 
toward  the  rising  sun,  no  one  knew  just  where. 

The  coyote  determined  to  steal  some  fire  from  them  for 
man.  As  he  would  need  a  great  deal  of  help,  he  collected 
a  large  company  of  animals,  one  of  every  kind  he  knew. 
The  strongest  were  to  go  farthest  from  home  with  him,  to 
the  very  land  where  the  old  women  kept  the  casket  of  fire. 
The  weakest  were  to  stay  nearest  home,  because  they 
could  not  run  fast  nor  far.  An  Indian  was  to  go  with  the 
coyote  almost  to  the  hut  of  the  fire  watchers. 

When  they  were  at  the  end  of  their  journey  the  coyote 
hid  the  Indian  under  a  hill. 

"Stay  here  until  I  come  for  you  or  call  out,"  said  he. 

The  Indian  crawled  under  the  hill  and  waited  quietly 
for  his  companion.  The  cunning  coyote  went  boldly  up 
to  the  cabin  where  the  old  hags  lived,  and  rapped  on  the 
door.  One  of  the  women  came  to  see  what  was  wanted. 

"  Good  evening,"  said  the  coyote,  politely,  "  may  I  come 
in  and  warm  myself  at  your  fire  ? " 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  woman.  "  It  is  cold  out  of  doors 
to-night.  Come  in  and  lie  down  where  it  is  warm." 

The  coyote  went  in  and  found  a  snug  place  by  the  fire. 
The  warmth  made  him  stretch  out  his  sharp  nose  and 
curl  himself  up  drowsily.  "  This  is  fine,"  said  he.  Then 
he  pretended  to  go  to  sleep ;  but  he  shut  only  one  eye, 


36  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

and  kept  the  other  open  so  that  he  could  watch  the  two 
women. 

"  I  don't  believe  that  they  ever  go  to  sleep,"  he  thought, 
as  hour  after  hour  went  by,  and  their  eyes  were  as  wide 
open  as  ever.  He  was  right.  That  was  one  reason  why 
they  had  been  chosen  to  guard  the  precious  casket.  All 
night  and  all  day  they  watched  the  treasured  fire,  and  did 
not  give  the  coyote  the  chance  for  which  he  was  waiting. 
In  despair  he  at  last  went  out  to  get  help  from  the  Indian 
who  was  lying  hidden  under  the  hill. 

"You  will  have  to  come,"  said  the  coyote.  "You  must 
go  up  to  the  hut  and  pretend  that  you  want  to  steal  the 
fire.  They  will  watch  you,  and  not  think  of  me.  I  wilt 
take  some  of  the  fire  and  run  to  the  mountain  lion." 

Everything  went  as  the  coyote  had  planned.  When  the 
Indian  came  to  the  hut,  the  old  women  tried  to  chase  him 
away  before  he  could  get  the  fire,  but  while  they  were 
running  after  him  out  of  one  door,  the  coyote  seized  a 
burning  brand,  and  fled  out  of  the  other.  As  he  ran,  some 
sparks  that  fell  were  seen  by  the  old  women.  Knowing 
now  who  was  the  real  thief,  they  turned  from  the  Indian 
and  gave  chase  to  the  coyote. 

Away  he  ran,  the  fire  in  his  mouth ;  away  went  the  two 
old  women  after  him.  The  coyote  could  run  fast,  but  the 
old  women  could  run  faster.  They  were  almost  up  with 
him  when  he  came  to  the  place  where  he  had  told  the  lion 
to  wait.  There  stood  the  faithful  lion,  ready  to  start ;  for 
he  had  seen  them  all  running  toward  him,  and  had  guessed 
what  he  was  to  do. 

The  coyote's  breath  was  quite  spent,     He  could  not  say 


Indian  Legends  37 

a  word  as  he  held  out  the  burning  brand.  But  the  lion 
took  it  in  his  mouth,  and  before  the  hags  were  quite  within 
reach  of  him  he  was  gone.  Since  the  old  women  never 
grew  tired,  they  ran  on  after  the  lion.  Just  as  they 
thought  they  were  about  to  catch  him  he  reached  the 
place  where  the  next  animal  was  waiting.  Again  the 
brand  was  taken  by  a  fresh  animal,  again  the  old  hags 
gave  chase.  So  it  happened  every  time.  The  old  women 
were  never  quite  fast  enough,  and  the  coyote  had  placed 
the  animals  so  wisely  that  not  one  gave  out  before  the  next 
was  reached. 

The  last  but  one  was  the  little  ground  squirrel.  Although 
he  is  small  he  can  run  fast ;  but  when  he  took  the  fire- 
brand, the  hags  were  so  close  that  he  thought  he  would 
not  escape  them.  Off  he  ran  so  fast  that  his  tail  caught 
fire."  It  hurt  him  so  badly  that  he  curled  it  up  over  his 
back,  where  it  burned  the  little  brown  stripe  which  we  can 
still  see  to-day.  In  spite  of  his  pain  the  brave  little  fellow 
would  not  give  up.  He  ran  on,  and  before  the  old  women 
came  up  with  him,  he  reached  the  last  hiding  place. 

The  frog  was  waiting  there.  He  could  not  run,  but  had 
to  hop  along ;  so  he  could  not  carry  the  fife  as  the  others 
had.  He  opened  his  mouth  and  swallowed  the  brand; 
then  off  he  hopped  toward  the  home  of  the  Indians. 
Closer  came  the  old  hags.  One  of  them  reached  out  and 
caught  the  tail  of  the  frightened  little  froggie.  Still  the 
brave  messenger  hopped  along.  He  gave  his  tail  a  wrench 
to  pull  it  free.  Oh,  horror  !  It  dropped  off  in  the  hand 
of  the  old  woman.  But  the  frog  would  not  give  up  the 
fire.  Jumping  into  the  water,  he  swam  as  long  as  he  could 


Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 


hold  his  breath  ;  then  he  came  on  land  and  spit  the  fire 
out  into  a  big  log  of  driftwood. 

There  it  stayed  ever  after ;  and  when  the  Indians  wanted 
a  fire,  all  that  they  had  to  do  was  to  rub  two  pieces  of  dry 
wood  together,  and  the  sparks  of  fire  flew  out.  But  no 
grown-up  frog  since  that  time  has  been  known  to  have  a  tail. 

A  LEGEND  OF  THE  GEYSERS 

Two  young  Indians  were  out  hunting.  They  were  near 
the  place  where  Cloverdale  is  now  situated.  They  had 

startled  a  big  grizzly  bear, 
and  both  shot  him  at  almost 
the  same  moment.  The 
great  animal  fell,  and  they 
waited  quietly  to  see  if  he 
were  dead  or  only  sham- 
ming. 

"  Shoot  him  again,"  said 
one ;  and  they  let  fly  their 
flint  headed  arrows  at  the 
struggling  bear. .  By  this 
time  the  grizzly  had  man- 
aged to  get  on  his  feet 
again,  and  had  started  to- 
ward the  brush.  After  him 

went  the  Indians,  guided  by  the  heavy  trail  of  blood. 
Wounded  though  he  was,  the  bear  went  rapidly  up  the 
canyon;  the  Indians  followed  at  a  safe  distance,  waiting 
for  the  savage  beast  to  drop  dead  from  the  arrow  wounds 
which  he  had  received.  Mile  after  mile  they  went,  guided 


A  grizzly  bear 


Indian  Legends  39 

always  by  that  trail  of  blood,  growing  more  marked  the 
farther  they  went. 

"He  cannot  last  much  longer,"  they  said;  but  as  the 
sun  sank  lower  in  the  west,  and  the  bear  still  held  out, 
they  began  to  talk  of  giving  up  the  chase  and  going  back 
to  camp.  Suddenly  they  saw  the  animal  before  them, 
writhing  on  the  ground. 

"  Now  we  have  him  !  "  they  shouted,  and  gave  a  loud 
whoop  of  joy  as  they  started  for  their  prey.  Frightened  by 
the  noise,  the  dying  bear  rose  and  staggered  on  again.  He 
plunged  into  the  ravine  ahead  of  him  to  die.  The  Indians 
saw  him  fall  and  ran  forward  to  get  his  body.  Suddenly 
they  stopped.  With  eyes  starting  from  their  heads  they 
looked  around.  Had  they  gone  mad  ?  Was  all  the  world 
bewitched  ? 

Jets  of  steam  hissed  up  from  the  ground  around  them. 
Smoke  drifted  from  the  hillsides.  A  smell  of  sulphur 
nearly  choked  them.  Before  them  was  a  great  basin  in 
which  water  boiled  and  bubbled.  The  earth  beneath  their 
feet  was  spongy,  and  seemed  ready  to  sink  with  their 
weight. 

With  a  look  of  horror  and  with  a  fear  beyond  words,  the 
terrified  hunters  fled  back  the  way  that  they  had  come. 
Into  the  village  they  rushed  and  told  their  story.  The 
grave  old  Indians  who  listened  said  not  a  word.  In  amaze- 
ment they  looked  at  the  hunters. 

Earth  that  smoked  ?  Water  that  boiled  and  bubbled 
without  fire?  Steam  that  came  from  the  hillsides  with 
the  noise  of  a  rushing,  roaring  storm  wind  ?  Such  things 
were  impossible.  But  the  two  young  Indians  were  known 


4O  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

to  be  truthful,  and  there  must  be  some  reason  for  their 
story. 

"  We  have  told  you  the  truth,"  they  said.  "  Come  and 
see  for  yourselves." 

About  twenty  of  the  Indians  went  back  with  them  to 
the  place  where  they  said  the  bear  had  died.  There  he 
lay  just  as  they  had  left  him.  That  part  of  their  story  was 
true.  There  too  was  the  black  water,  boiling  and  seething, 
hot  as  the  hottest  fire  could  have  made  it. 

All  the  Indians  came  now  to  see  this  new  wonder  of 
their  land.  The  medicine  men  said  that  such  water  would 
cure  any  disease.  Booths  were  therefore  built  over  the  jets 
of  steam,  and  the  sick  people  were  laid  on  them  to  be  cured. 
So  many  became  well  that  the  fame  of  the  geysers  spread 
among  the  Indians. 

All  the  wonders  of  the  geyser  country  were  not  yet 
known  to  the  simple  natives.  One  night  the  clouds  hung 
dark  above  the  land.  It  was  just  the  night  for  an  evil 
spirit  to  be  out,  doing  mischief  to  the  Indians.  Suddenly 
the  earth  shook.  Again  and  again  it  trembled  violently. 
There  was  a  strange  rumbling  sound  in  the  canyon. 

"  The  spirit  of  the  grizzly  has  come  back  to  haunt  the 
place  of  his  death,"  said  the  Indians,  as  they  fled  from  the 
spot.  Many  of  them  believed  that  evil  spirits  often  went 
into  grizzly  bears,  and  for  this  reason  they  could  not 
make  up  their  minds  to  go  back  to  a  place  which  they 
believed  to  be  haunted. 

"We  have  many  sick  and  dying,"  they  said  to  each 
other.  "We  must  find  some  way  of  going  back  to  our 
healing  springs." 


Indian  Legends  41 

At  last  a  gray-haired  man  who  had  come  among  them 
said  :  "  I  will  make  an  offering  to  this  evil  spirit.  We 
will  put  it  at  the  edge  of  the  basin  which  boils  and  bubbles. 
If  it  is  accepted,  the  evil  spirit  will  go  away  and  leave  us 
the  springs  that  heal." 

The  old  man  went  to  work.  Day  after  day  he  cut  and 
scraped,  until  a  human  face  seemed  to  be  growing  out  of 
the  rock.  All  alone  he  went  into  the  canyon,  and  all  alone 
he  worked  there.  The  Indians  watched  him  with  reverence 
and  superstition.  The  face  was  almost  finished.  Early 
in  the  morning  and  late  at  night  the  sculptor  was  at  his 
work.  One  night  he  did  not  come  to  the  village  even 
when  it  grew  late  and  the  stars  shone  in  the  sky. 

"He  will  finish  it  to-night,"  said  the  Indians,  waiting 
eagerly  in  their  village. 

Suddenly  there  came  a  moan,  a  groan,  from  the  canyon 
where  the  old  man  had  been  at  work.  Then  there  was  a 
rumble  such  as  they  had  heard  before.  The  ground  shook 
again  and  again.  Cliffs  trembled  ;  some  of  them  fell  from 
their  bases. 

The  horrified  Indians  threw  themselves  on  the  ground, 
and  waited  breathlessly  for  the  morning  sun.  When  at 
last  it  rose  above  the  hills,  the  Indians  in  fear  and  trem- 
bling hurried  to  the  place  where  they  had  last  seen  the  old 
sculptor.  Not  a  trace  of  him  was  to  be  found,  and  he  was 
never  seen  again.  The  image  was  finished,  however,  and 
its  cold,  stony  face  looked  down  into  the  boiling  waters  of 
the  basin,  an  offering  to  the  evil  spirit  of  the  place. 

Silently  all  looked  at  the  face,  and  silently  all  crept  away. 
Three  quarters  of  a  mile  farther  down  the  canyon  they 


42  Before  the  Coming  of  the  Spanish 

found  new  springs  that  had  burst  out  in  the  earthquake 
shock  of  the  preceding  night. 

"  The  old  man  was  sent  by  the  Great  Spirit  to  help  us," 
said  the  Indians.  "  We  will  bring  the  sick  to  these  new 
springs,  for  they  are  a  gift  from  the  evil  spirit  to  show 
that  he  is  no  longer  angry  with  us  for  killing  the  grizzly. 
But  the  horrible  sounds  from  the  upper  springs  mean  that 
we  must  not  go  to  them  again." 

The  Indians  obeyed  what  they  took  to  be  a  warning. 
Even  after  the  white  men  had  come  to  the  country  and  had 
visited  the  upper  springs  without  harm,  the  Indians  re- 
fused to  go  back  to  their  old  haunts.  They  continued  to 
take  their  sick  to  the  lower  springs  which  they  believed 
had  been  given  to  them  by  the  evil  spirit  when  he  accepted 
the  carved  face  on  the  rock. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  did  the  Indians  admire  in  the  coyote?  Do  these 
legends  tell  us  anything  about  the  lives  of  the  Indians?  Why  were 
not  the  legends  the  same  all  over  California?  Who  made  them? 
How  were  they  remembered?  Were  they  liable  to  change? 


II.    DISCOVERERS    AND    EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER  III 
CORTES 

WHEN  Columbus  sailed  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
he  thought  that  he  was  going  straight  to  China.  He 
touched  the  coasts  of  Central  and 
South  America,  and  to  the  end  of 
his  life  believed  that  he  had  found 
some  islands  near  the  shore  of  Asia. 
He  was  greatly  disappointed  that 
he  could  not  succeed  in  sail- 
ing around  the  land  which 
lay  so  obstinately  in  his  way, 
for  he  believed  it  to  be  only 
an  island,  and  that  the  fabu- 
lous East,  with  all  its  wealth 
of  silks  and  spices,  was  just 
beyond. 

Other  Spaniards  had  the  same  belief,  and,  in  their  ef- 
forts to  sail  around  the  land  which  had  blocked  the  way 
for  Columbus,  some  of  them  touched  the  eastern  coast  of 
Mexico.  Among  the  latter  was  Hernando  Cortes,1  a 

i  Cortes  (Kor'tez). 
43 


Hernando  Cortes 


44  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

brave  man,  and  one  of  the  greatest  of  Spanish  explorers 
and  conquerors.  He  was  sent  out  with  some  ships  to  visit 
the  country  known  to  be  west  of  Cuba,  and  to  bring  back 
all  the  information  he  could  gather  about  the  land  and  its 
people. 

Cortes  stopped  at  many  places  on  the  coast  of  Mexico 
and  Central  America.  He  was  told  that  there  was  a  rich 
country  farther  inland ;  that  the  natives  wore  many  valu- 
able ornaments,  and  that  they  had  fine  temples  where  they 
gave  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones  to  their  gods.  He 
heard,  also,  about  a  great  body  of  water  beyond  Mexico  to 
the  west. 

Cortes  determined  to  visit  this  country,  hoping  to  find 
there  gold  enough  to  satisfy  himself  and  all  his  men.  But 
he  was  not  sure  that  his  men  would  stand  by  him  in  so 
dangerous  an  undertaking.  What  if  they  should  desert 
him  in  the  midst  of  the  new  country?  Cortes  did  not 
intend  to  come  back  himself  until  he  had  learned  all 
about  the  land  ahead  of  him ;  neither  did  he  intend  to 
have  his  men  come  back  without  him.  At  last  he  made 
a  remarkable  decision. 

His  ships  were  anchored  in  a  small  harbor  on  the  coast 
of  Mexico.  He  ordered  his  men  to  take  out  everything 
that  could  be  of  use ;  then,  under  the  pretext  that  the  ves- 
sels were  no  longer  seaworthy,  he  caused  them  to  be  sunk. 
He  felt  now  that  he  was  safe,  so  far  as  his  own  soldiers 
were  concerned.  If  they  deserted  him,  there  was  no  way 
for  them  to  return  to  Cuba  or  Europe ;  and  Cortes  well 
knew  that  they  would  rather  risk  their  lives  in  the  strange, 
hostile  country  ahead  of  them  with  him  as  a  leader,  than 


Cortes 


45 


to  choose  any  one  else  in  his  place.  He,  as  well  as  his 
men,  knew  that  he  was  the  bravest  and  most  capable  man 
in  the  company.  As  the  soldiers  rode  away  toward  the 
blue  mountains  rising  before  them  in  the  west,  they  must 
have  realized  that  the  surest  way  to  preserve  their  lives 
was  by  giving  implicit  obedience  to  Cortes. 

Stories  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  the  capital  of  the  Aztecs, 
continued  to  reach 
Cortes  as  he  traveled 
toward  the  mountains. 
They  made  him  all  the 
more  determined  to 
visit  that  city,  and  find 
out  for  himself  how 
much  truth  there  was 
in  the  reports  about  its 
vast  wealth  and  stores 
of  precious  stones.  At 
one  of  the  cities  con- 
quered on  the  march, 

the  Spaniards  were  met  by  some  messengers  from  the 
king  of  the  Aztecs.  The  name  of  this  king  was  Mon- 
tezuma,  and  he  was  the  ruler  of  the  most  powerful  nation 
in  the  country.  He  was  so  feared  by  many  of  the  small 
states,  and  so  hated  by  others,  that  all  along  his  route, 
Cortes  found  tribes  who  were  ready  to  help  him  in  his 
attack  on  the  dreaded  king. 

Soon  after  Cortes  landed  on  the  shore  of  Mexico,  word 
had  been  sent  him  by  Montezuma  that  he  wished  to  be- 
come a  vassal  of  the  king  of  the  white  man's  country. 


A  Spanish  ship  of  the  time  of  Cortes 


46  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

He  promised  to  send  across  the  seas  a  yearly  tribute  of 
gold,  silver,  slaves,  and  anything  that  he  had.  The  mes- 
sengers who  met  Cortes  at  the  conquered  town  had  come 
to  assure  him  again  of  the  good  will  of  Montezuma,  and  to 
ask  that  the  Spaniards  should  come  no  nearer  the  Aztec 
capital.  The  roads  were  bad,  they  said ;  Mexico  was  on 
the  water  and  could  be  reached  only  with  canoes  ;  the 
country  was  so  barren  that  the  Spaniards  would  suffer  for 
the  necessities  of  life ;  and  it  would  be  better  for  everybody 
if  these  strange  white  men  would  stay  near  the  coast,  or 
leave  the  country  entirely,  sailing  away  in  their  great 
winged  ships.  Cortes  could  not  be  deceived  by  such  weak 
excuses ;  and,  besides,  the  messengers  had  something  to 
add  which,  instead  of  hurrying  him  away  as  they  hoped, 
quickly  decided  him  and  all  his  men  to  press  on  to  Mex- 
ico. They  brought  him  an  abundance  of  rich  presents. 

The  Aztecs  thought  that  the  white  men  were  gods,  and 
they  had  brought  them  rich  gifts,  such  as  they  offered  to 
their  own  deities  when  they  went  to  the  temples  to  wor- 
ship. If  the  strangers  took  the  gifts,  the  Indians  hoped 
that  in  return  they  would  do  whatever  was  asked.  Poor 
messengers!  Poor  Montezuma!  They  could  not  under- 
stand that  these  very  presents  were  to  bring  death  to  them- 
selves and  ruin  to  their  loved  country.  For,  among  other 
things,  they  had  brought  considerable  gold. 

There  were  pieces  of  armor  trimmed  with  gold.  There 
were  crests  of  feathers  with  gold  and  silver  threads  run- 
ning through  them,  and  scattered  over  with  pearls  and 
precious  stones.  There  was  a  helmet  filled  with  grains 
of  pure  gold.  They  had  brought,  also,  two  large  plates, 


Cortes  47 

one  of  silver  and  the  other  of  gold ;  both  "  as  large  as 
carriage  wheels,"  said  the  historian  who  was  with  Cortes 
and  who  wrote  about  the  scene.  The  one  of  gold,  so 
admired  by  all,  was  used  by  the  Aztecs  in  their  worship 
of  the  sun ;  and  as  they  thought  that  Cortes  was  a  long- 
promised  god,  Montezuma  had  sent  him  this  gift,  one 
truly  fit  for  gods. 

How  the  Spaniards  must  have  stared  at  all  this  wealth 
of  presents !  No  one  thought  now  of  going  back  to 
Spain.  On,  on  to  Mexico !  was  the  cry  of  every  soldier. 
The  Aztecs  had  sealed  their  own  fate  by  the  gifts  which 
they  had  brought.  The  Spaniards,  cruel  and  greedy, 
would  never  leave  the  country  now  until  they  were  mas- 
ters of  all  this  wealth.  What  were  these  articles  that 
were  given  away,  to  all  the  riches  that  must  have  been 
kept  at  home  ?  On  to  Mexico  ! 

It  was  a  weary  march,  and  the  soldiers  were  tired 
long  before  they  saw  Montezuma's  capital.  They  had 
climbed  far  up  the  mountains  that  lie  between  the  city 
and  the  sea,  and  at  last,  as  they  passed  around  a  rocky 
projection,  they  beheld  a  beautiful  valley  below  them. 
Like  Moses  of  old,  they  stopped  to  look  at  the  glorious 
country. 

"  It  is  the  promised  land  !  "  l  they  cried  in  their  .delight, 
as  the  great  leader  of  Israel  had  cried  out  when  he  saw 
Canaan  before  him.  But  Moses  had  dreamed  of  peace 
and  rest  for  his  people  in  the  land  toward  which  they  were 
traveling  ;  while  Cortes  thought  only  of  war  and  conquest, 
and  of  taking  by  force  all  the  riches  that  he  and  his  men 

1  Torquemada,  quoted  by  Prescott  in  his  Conquest  of  Mexico. 


Discoverers  and  Explorers 


could  carry  away.  Why  should  he  think  of  the  sufferings 
which  were  to  fall  on  the  gentle  people  who  lived  in  the 
lovely  valley  below  ?  What  did  he  care  for  the  country 
that  he  was  to  ruin,  for  the  slaves  who  were  to  tremble 
under  the  lash  of  the  white  man  ?  He  had  come  for  gold  ; 
gold  he  would  have,  no  matter  what  it  cost. 

In  the  clear  air  of  the  mountain  regions  Cortes  and  his 
men  could  look  over  all  the  valley.  Vast  forests  covered 
much  of  it;  but  there  were  also  the  fair  orchards  and 
gardens  of  the  peaceful  Aztecs.  In  the  midst  of  the 
valley  were  lakes  surrounded  by  villages  and  cities.  There 
was  no  need  to  ask  which  was  Mexico, 
the  city  of  their  desires.  It  lay  on  the 
water's  edge,  larger  than  the  rest,  and 
like  a  queen  it  overlooked  and  ruled  its 
dependents. 

Montezuma  was  waiting  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  white  men.  From  the  time 
of  their  landing,  he  had  seemed  to  feel 
that  they  would  bring  him  only  trouble, 
and  he  had  kept  himself  informed  of 
every  move  which  they  had  made.  He 
knew  when  any  town  tried  to  stop  them  ; 
when  any  of  his  enemies  gave  them 
help ;  and  now  his  faithful  scouts  hurried  to  tell  him  that 
the  dreaded  strangers  were  before  his  own  beautiful  city. 
He  listened  to  the  stories  of  the  wonderful  animals  that 
seemed  a  part  of  the  men,  obeying  them,  never  seeming 
to  tire,  carrying  men  on  their  backs  as  if  they  were  chil- 
dren. These  were  the  horses  of  the  Spaniards,  animals 


Montezuma 


Cortes  49 

which  the  Aztecs  had  never  before  seen,  and  which  they 
feared  almost  as  much  as  they  dreaded  the  men  them- 
selves. 

Montezuma  listened  quietly  to  all  that  his  people  had  to 
tell  him ;  then  he  made  ready  to  welcome  Cortes.  It  was 
a  notable  event,  this  first  meeting  between  a  great  ruler 
of  the  New  World  and  an  invincible  conqueror  from  the 
Old.  Borne  in  his  palanquin,  attended  by  his  nobles,  and 
followed  by  a  great  number  of  his  subjects,  Montezuma 
went  out  on  the  causeway  which  connected  the  city  with 
the  mainland. 

Cortes  had  advanced  to  the  very  entrance  of  the  city, 
where  he  was  met  by  a  large  number  of  the  nobles  of 
the  Aztec  court,  sent  by  Montezuma  to  be  the  first  to 
greet  the  white  leader,  and  to  herald  his  own  approach. 
As  they  drew  near  Cortes,  they  gave  him  the  peculiar 
greeting  of  their  country  for  men  of  rank  ;  every  noble 
put  one  of  his  hands  to  the  ground,  bent  over  and  kissed 
it.  Then  all  advanced  to  speak  to  the  leader.  Cortes 
had  reached  a  drawbridge  which  separated  the.  causeway 
from  the  main  street  of  the  city.  After  the  greeting  from 
the  large  company  of  nobles,  this  drawbridge  was  crossed, 
and  the  Spaniards  found  themselves  at  the  beginning  of  a 
beautiful  avenue.  Cortes  described  it  in  a  letter  to  his 
emperor,  Charles  V.  He  said  that  the  street  was  so  wide 
and  straight  that  one  could  see  to  its  farther  end,  two 
miles  away.  It  was  lined  on  both  sides  by  large  temples 
and  palaces.  Its  beauty  so  surprised  the  Spaniards  that 
they  declared  there  was  nothing  finer  among  all  the  streets 
of  Europe. 

SPAN.    IN    SOUTHWEST  —  4 


5O  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

Montezuma  was  approaching  the  drawbridge  as  Cortes 
crossed.  Two  hundred  nobles,  richly  dressed,  were 
formed  in  two  lines,  one  on  each  side  of  the  broad  street, 
close  to  the  houses.  In  the  center  of  the  procession  came 
Montezuma,  borne  in  his  palanquin.  When  he  alighted 
and  advanced  toward  Cortes,  slaves  swept  the  ground 
before  him,  and  then  spread  carpets  on  which  he  walked ; 
for  his  royal  feet  in  their  golden  sandals  must  not  touch 
the  common  earth. 

As  the  emperor  approached,  Cortes  dismounted  and 
walked  haughtily  forward,  a  servant  following,  leading  the 
horse.  There  was  no  appearance  of  fear  in  the  proud 
man,  although  he  could  see  that  he  and  his  small  army 
were  surrounded  by  swarming  multitudes  of  Aztecs. 
After  the  first  greetings  had  been  exchanged,  Cortes  made 
a  motion  to  embrace  the  emperor  as  he  had  the  chiefs 
whom  he  had  met  on  the  road ;  but  he  was  instantly  pre- 
vented by  a  noble.  To  have  touched  the  lord  of  all  the 
Aztecs  would  have  been  a  profanation  of  the  royal  person. 
Rich  presents  were  exchanged,  some  words  spoken  by 
means  of  an  interpreter,  and  Montezuma  stepped  again 
into  his  palanquin. 

He  had  welcomed  Cortes  to  his  kingdom,  but  he  had  no 
hope  nor  pleasure  in  greeting  this  cold,  proud  man ;  he 
had  only  fear  for  his  unknown  power.  He  had  yielded  to 
what  he  believed  was  his  fate.  He  thought  that  Cortes 
came  from  the  gods,  and  he  did  not  know  yet  whether  he 
brought  from  them  good  or  evil.  So  he  met  the  strangers 
courteously,  but  he  would  not  be  the  one  to  conduct  them 
into  the  city.  Carried  back  to  his  palace,  Montezuma  left 


Cortes  5 1 

the  Spaniards  to  be  escorted  slowly  after  him  by  some  of 
the  nobles. 

The  long  and  interesting  story  about  Cortes  and  Monte- 
zuma cannot  be  given  here. 


Meeting  of  Cortes  and  Montezuma 

Montezuma  was  all  too  kind  and  gentle  to  withstand  the 
wily  and  cruel  Spaniards.  He  was  made  prisoner  by  them, 
and,  although  he  was  allowed  to  live  in  a  palace,  there 
was  always  a  strong  guard  before  the  gates.  One  day 
heavy  irons  were  fastened  to  his  feet,  just  to  show  him 
how  completely  he  was  in  the  power  of  the  strangers. 
The  heart  of  the  kind  monarch  was  broken.  If  he  had 


52  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

fought  against  the  Spaniards,  he  might  have  saved  his 
country ;  but  he  had  tried  by  kindness  to  retain  the  friend- 
ship of  the  supposed  messenger  from  the  gods,  and  now 
he  was  a  prisoner,  disgraced  before  his  people,  and  his 
nation  was  without  a  leader. 

The  Aztecs  had  made  many  conquests  and  consequently 
many  enemies ;  but  at  home  Montezuma  was  a  kind  ruler. 
His  friendly  greeting  to  Cortes  had  displeased  his  people, 
who  began  to  call  him  weak.  As  if  this  were  not  enough, 
he  was  forced  by  Cortes  to  promise  obedience  to  the 
Spanish  king.  Montezuma  wept  as  he  spoke  the  required 
words,  but  he  still  thought  it  right  and  wise  to  obey.  To 
his  nobles  he  said  :  — 

"  They  have  come  across  the  sea.  Long  years  ago  the 
greatest  ruler  of  our  land  went  away  toward  the  rising 
sun,  promising  to  come  back  some  day,  bringing  us  bless- 
ings. These  men  have  come  from  him ;  we  must  obey." 

So,  although  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks  as  he  spoke, 
Montezuma,  the  great,  free,  rich  king  of  all  the  Aztecs, 
gave  the  promise  that  Cortes  demanded.  It  was  so  sad  to 
see  him  in  such  sorrow  and  still  doing  what  he  believed  to 
be  right,  that  even  some  of  the  Spaniards  wept.  Hard 
and  rough  as  they  were,  the  tears  ran  down  their  cheeks  as 
they  listened  to  him.  They  had  learned  to  like  this  man 
who  was  now  promising  that  he  would  obey  an  emperor 
whom  he  had  never  seen,  their  own  king,  Charles  V,  far 
away  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

To  show  that  he  meant  all  that  he  had  promised,  Monte- 
zuma caused  great  heaps  of  treasures  to  be  put  before 
the  Spaniards.  There  were  large  piles  of  gold  and 


Cortes  53 

silver  dishes,  of  the  wonderful  cloth  made  by  the  Aztecs, 
of  gold  in  small  grains,  and  in  bars  as  it  had  been  melted 
down  for  the  treasury.  Then  there  were  beautiful  Mexi- 
can ornaments,  birds,  insects,  flowers,  all  of  gold;  and 
there  were  collars,  bracelets,  fans  of  gold  and  feathers, 
with  pearls  and  precious  stones  scattered  over  them. 

Even  the  Spaniards  were  amazed  at  all  the  wealth 
before  them ;  but  they  did  not  wait  long  before  taking 
possession.  After  the  king's  share  had  been  laid  aside, 
the  men  fell  to  quarreling  bitterly  about  dividing  the  rest 
of  the  treasure. 

Poor  Montezuma !  he  had  not  much  longer  to  live,  but 
he  had  much  to  suffer.  Bitterest  of  all  to  the  heart  of 
the  proud  but  fond  king,  his  own  people  turned  against 
him,  saying  that  he  was  the  friend  of  the  Spaniards  and 
the  enemy  of  his  own  nation. 

At  length  the  people  of  Mexico  determined  to  drive 
the  Spaniards  out  of  their  city  and  to  release  their  king. 
There  was  only  a  handful  of  the  white  people  and  their 
allies,  compared  with  the  great  numbers  of  Indians  soon 
massed  around  the  palace  where  the  Spanish  army  was 
lodged.  Montezuma,  who  still  believed  that  Cortes  had 
come  from  the  gods,  wished  to  help  his  captors.  He 
was  led  by  the  guard  to  a  balcony  from  which  he  spoke 
to  a  multitude  of  his  subjects  below,  trying  to  quell  their 
rage ;  but  he  succeeded  only  in  turning  it  against  himself. 
The  Indians  soon  began  to  grow  angry  at  what  they  called 
their  monarch's  weakness ;  they  said  he  was  a  woman, 
and  not  a  man  to  lead  his  people  in  the  hour  of  their 
need.  Some  one  raised  a  bow  and  pointed  it  at  the  king ; 


54 


Discoverers  and  Explorers 


others  saw  the  motion,  and,  picking  up  mud,  stones,  sticks, 
threw  them  at  their  once  loved  and  reverenced  monarch. 
A  stone  struck  Montezuma  on  the  head  and  he  fell  to 
the  floor.  Seriously  injured,  he  was  carried  to  his  room. 
He  could  endure  no  more;  his  own  people  had  deserted 
him,  and  the  man  whom  he  had  tried  to 
serve  held  him  a  prisoner.  Far  worse 
than  the  stone  which  struck  him  down 
was  the  hatred  to  be  read  in  every  eye. 
He  would  not  take  any  of  the  medicines 
brought  him  by  the  Spaniards ;  he  tore 
off  the  bandages  which  they  put  on  his 
wound.  In  a  few  days  he  died,  dis- 
graced, broken-hearted,  but  still  half 
believing  that  the  man  who  had  so 
humiliated  him  was  one  sent  by  the 
gods. 

On  Cortes  lies  the  death  of  Monte- 
zuma and  the  ruin  of  a  great  and  pow- 
erful nation.  He  destroyed  the  civilization  of  the  Aztecs, 
the  highest  race  in  North  America  when  the  Europeans 
came.  He  made  wretched  slaves  of  a  people  that  had 
opened  to  him  the  gates  of  their  city.  But  while  the 
cruelty  of  Cortes  must  be  condemned,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that,  according  to  the  spirit  of  his  age,  he  was  a 
wonderful  conqueror  and  leader  of  men.  That  he  was 
not  wantonly  cruel  is  proved  by  his  later  life,  when,  as 
governor  of  Mexico,  the  Indians  themselves  recognized 
his  justice.  He  was  also  sincere  in  his  love  for  adven- 
ture and  exploration ;  and  when  he  lost  favor  with  the 


An  Aztec  warrior 


Cortes  5  5 

court  of  Spain,  he  spent  large  sums  from  his  private 
fortune  in  order  to  send  expeditions  along  the  Pacific 
coast.  It  was  his  never-dying  energy  in  these  efforts 
which  helped  bring  about  the  later  discovery  of  Cali- 
fornia, for  he  inspired  others  with  his  belief  that  some 
wonderful  country  lay  to  the  north.  It  is  supposed  to 
have  been  Cdrtes  who  first  gave  the  name  California  to 
the  lands  beyond  Mexico.  On  one  of  his  expeditions, 
when  ill  luck  had  followed  him,  and  his  people  were  well- 
nigh  hopeless,  Cortes  called  the  barren  land  on  which 
they  were  resting,  California.  It  was  the  name  of  a 
fabled  island  of  wondrous  wealth ;  and,  half  believing  that 
they  had  reached  some  such  promising  country,  his  men 
aroused  themselves  from  their  despair. 

The  name  clung  to  the  peninsula,  which  we  now  call 
Lower  California ;  it  was  given  to  the  gulf  on  its  eastern 
side,  once  known  as  the  Sea  of  Cortes ;  and  it  finally 
attached  itself  to  the  mainland  farther  north. 

Enemies,  jealous  of  the  fame  of  Cortes,  made  trouble 
between  him  and  his  emperor.  Twice  he  went  to  Spain 
to  right  himself  with  the  monarch.  On  his  first  visit,  al- 
though great  attention  was  paid  him,  the  Cortes  who  was 
trying  to  secure  justice  and  favor  from  the  throne  was  a 
different  man  from  the  one  who  had  sent  home  such  vast 
quantities  of  gold.  As  a  mark  of  what  was  called  special 
favor,  he  was  allowed  to  return  to  Mexico,  where  he  con- 
tinued his  explorations  at  his  own  expense.  Still  his 
enemies  pursued  him,  and  finally  they  forced  him  to  go 
again  to  Spain  to  meet  his  emperor,  Charles  V.  There 
at  the  court  he  waited  long  for  justice,  overlooked  and 


56  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

neglected,  until  all  hope  of  recognition  for  his  services 
was  past.  Finally  he  died,  disheartened  by  the  treatment 
shown  him. 

By  the  time  that  Cortes  returned  to  Spain  there  were 
many  Spaniards  in  Mexico,  all  eager  to  gather  wealth. 
They  searched  everywhere,  and  were  ready  to  believe  any 
story,  however  exaggerated,  of  the  splendors  of  distant 
lands.  One  of  the  tales  that  they  heard  was  about  the 
island  of  California,  —  the  same  that  Cortes  told  his  sol- 
diers when  they  were  ready  to  despair. 

This  wonderful  island  was  said  to  be  not  far  from  India. 
Its  inhabitants  were  women,  all  of  them  black.  They 
were  strong  and  fearless,  well  armed,  and  such  excellent 
soldiers  that  no  one  dared  go  to  their  island.  Instead  of 
being  afraid  of  war,  these  women  were  true  Amazons, 
killing  all  who  came  to  interfere  with  them.  They  were 
very  rich  in  gold  and  jewels ;  they  wore  armor  made  of 
gold ;  their  weapons  were  of  gold. 

This  romance  helped  to  give  zest  to  the  search  for  gold, 
and  to  give  the  name  California  to  the  lands  found  by  the 
Spanish  explorers. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  led  Cortes  to  go  to  Mexico?  Why  did  Monte- 
zuma  wish  Cortes  to  stay  away  from  the  capital?  Why  did  he  send 
the  Spaniards  gold  and  rich  presents  ?  What  were  the  results  of  Mon- 
tezuma's  belief  about  the  white  men? 

How  was  the  civilization  of  the  Aztecs  shown  ?  In  what  respects 
were  they  still  simple  savages,  the  inferiors  of  the  Europeans? 

In  what  way  was  Cortes  rewarded  for  his  discoveries  and  exploration? 


CHAPTER  IV 
REPORTS  OF  THE  SEVEN  CITIES 

IN  their  efforts  to  find  wealth  the  Spaniards  in  Mexico 
were  always  asking  the  Indians  if  they  knew  where  gold 
or  silver  could  be  found.  Probably  the  natives  did  not 
always  understand  them,  but  simply  tried  to  get  rid  of  their 
questioners ;  hence  there  were  many  false  reports  which 
sent  the  Spaniards  on  useless  journeys. 

One  of  the  governors  of  Mexico  had  an  Indian  slave, 
Tejos,1  who  had  once  lived  far  to  the  north  of  Mexico. 
He  belonged,  in  fact,  to  the  tribe  which  gave  its  name  to 
the  present  state  of  Texas.  Tejos  was  fond  of  telling  how 
his  father  had  traveled  from  one  tribe  to  another,  selling 
feathers  to  the  Indians.  These  feathers,  he  said,  were 
used  in  making  headdresses,  and  they  were  often  paid 
for  in  gold  and  silver. 

The  governor  questioned  Tejos  about  the  places  which 
his  father  had  visited,  asking  him  if  he  had  ever  been  taken 
on  those  trading  trips.  In  reply  Tejos  said  that  he  could 
easily  find  the  rich  cities,  which  he  well  remembered,  for 
he  had  been  with  his  father  and  knew  the  places  very 
well.  He  said  that  they  were  nearly  as  large  as  Mexico, 
and  that  there  were  seven  of  them,  known  as  the  Seven 

i  Tejos  (Ta'hos). 
57 


58  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

Cities  of  Cibola.1  To  the  governor's  disappointment,  Tejos 
said  that  they  were  far  from  Mexico,  that  it  would  be  nec- 
essary to  travel  many  days  on  the  desert,  and  to  go  some 
distance  beyond  it. 

Not  discouraged  by  the  length  and  dangers  of  the  jour- 
ney, the  governor  hurriedly  collected  an  army  and  started 
for  the  land  of  the  Seven  Cities  of  Cibola,  as  every  one 
now  called  the  wonderful  country  described  by  Tejos. 
The  march  began  with  flags  flying,  with  armor  shining, 
and  with  loud  laughing  and  joking  ;  for  every  one  ex- 
pected to  return  soon,  loaded  down  with  the  precious  gold 
of  which  the  Spaniards  were  always  dreaming.  How  dif- 
ferent was  the  coming  home !  The  men  had  suffered  from 
hunger  while  crossing  the  desert,  and  many  had  died  of 
thirst ;  some  had  been  killed  by  savage  Indians ;  and  no- 
where had  any  trace  of  the  seven  cities  been  found.  The 
soldiers  were  discouraged,  and  only  too  glad  to  return  to 
Mexico.  The  governor  was  in  trouble  with  the  emperor 
and  had  to  go  back  to  Spain,  and,  for  a  time,  people 
almost  ceased  to  talk  of  the  famous  seven  cities. 

Tejos's  story  had  seemed  strange  to  the  Spaniards,  but 
the  second  time  they  heard  about  the  seven  cities  it  was  in 
a  far  more  remarkable  manner.  Some  Spanish  explorers, 
who  had  been  in  the  northern  part  of  Mexico,  returned 
one  day  with  four  men  who  had  not  left  the  city  with 
them.  Queer-looking  creatures  they  were.  Their  only 
clothes  were  the  skins  of  wild  beasts ;  their  hands  and 
feet  were  so  hardened  that  they  looked  like  the  claws  and 
hoofs  of  birds  and  animals ;  their  hair  and  beards  were 

J  Cibola  (Se'bo-la). 


Reports  of  the  Seven  Cities 


59 


long  and  matted.     The  strangers  looked   like  wild   men 
from  the  desert. 

One  of  these  men  was  taller  than  the  rest.  He  was 
thinner  than  they,  if  that  were  possible ;  but  his  eyes 
shone  bright  and  clear,  and  he  spoke  and  acted  like  a 


"The  strangers  looked  like  wild  men  " 

commander.  There  were  two  other  white  men  and  a 
negro  in  the  little  company  brought  thus  strangely  out  of 
the  wilderness.  They  spoke  Spanish,  and  were  so  glad 
to  hear  their  own  language  from  other  lips  that  they  were 
nearly  frantic  with  joy.  Many  of  those  who  crowded 
around  to  watch  the  strange  scene  called  the  poor  beings 
madmen,  and,  as  they  listened  to  the  story  they  told,  said 
that  they  were  crazed  by  trouble.  Again  and  again  the 
wild-looking  men  insisted  that  they  were  Spaniards. 


60  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

They  said  that  they  came  from  Florida,  and  that  for  years 
they  had  been  wandering  in  the  country  of  the  Indians. 
Again  the  listeners  laughed  and  touched  their  foreheads, 
as  if  sure  that  these  were  the  dreams  of  crazy  men. 
Florida  was  far  away,  and  no  white  man  had  ever  crossed 
the  countries  between  ;  such  a  story  was  too  improbable 
to  be  believed. 

Finally  the  men  were  taken  to  the  governor,  who  told 
the  leader  to  narrate  his  experiences  once  more.  The  tall 
man  told  him  that  he  was  Cabeza  de  Vaca  ; 1  that  the  two 
white  men  with  him  were  Spaniards  like  himself,  and  that 
the  negro,  Stephen,  had  followed  him  through  all  his 
sufferings  and  wanderings  across  the  continent. 

It  was  now  nearly  nine  years,  said  De  Vaca,  since  they 
had  landed  in  Florida  with  a  large  company  of  Span- 
ish explorers.  They  had  met  with  many  misfortunes. 
They  had  marched  far  into  the  interior,  hoping  to  find 
rich  cities  to  plunder.  One  large  river  after  another  was 
crossed,  swamp  after  swamp  was  waded  through,  day  after 
day  the  men  went  hungry.  At  first  the  Indians  left  them 
alone,  but  finally  began  to  attack  them  whenever  there 
was  a  chance.  At  last,  sick  and  discouraged,  the  men 
could  go  no  farther.  The  ships  which  had  brought  them 
from  Cuba  had  returned,  and  they  therefore  decided  to 
build  boats  or  rafts  and  go  to  Mexico  by  water.  They  had 
no  nails,  saws,  axes,  or  other  tools  with  which  to  work. 
They  had  no  ropes  or  sails  with  which  to  fit  out  boats  if 
they  should  succeed  in  making  them.  They  were  almost 
without  food,  and  hostile  savages  were  around  them, 
i  Cabeza  de  Vaca  (Ca-ba'tha  da  Va'ca). 


Reports  of  the  Seven  Cities  6 1 

"We  decided,"  said  De  Vaca,  " to  make  tools  and  nails 
out  of  the  stirrups,  spurs,  and  crossbows  that  we  had  with 
us.  And,  as  we  had  little  food,  we  agreed  that  every 
third  day  we  would  kill  one  of  the  few  horses  that  were 
left  us,  and  eat  the  meat,  saving  the  manes  and  tails  for 
making  ropes  when  we  had  finished  our  boats." 

But  the  boats  that  they  made  were  all  lost  on  the  stormy 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  few  wretched  Spaniards  who 
escaped  drowning  were  cast  on  shore  among  the  Indians. 
Although  their  lives  were  sp'ared,  they  v/ere  made  slaves 
by  their  savage  captors.  They  worked,  until,  as  De  Vaca 
said,  "My  fingers  were  so  worn  that,  did  a  straw  but 
touch  them,  it  would  draw  blood." 

At  last  De  Vaca  escaped  from  these  savages  and  found 
his  way  to  another  tribe  farther  west.  There  he  was 
better  treated  and  stayed  about  six  years.  Sometimes  he 
traveled  for  the  Indians  as  a  kind  of  peddler,  and  wherever 
he  went  he  was  always  on  the  lookout  to  learn  which  way 
he  should  go  to  reach  Mexico. 

When  at  length  he  escaped  from  his  captors,  he  took 
with  him  two  other  Spaniards  and  the  negro  Stephen,  all 
of  whom  had  been  slaves  like  himself.  They  started  west, 
going  as  fast  as  their  weakness  and  the  dangers  around 
them  would  permit.  Again  and  again  they  asked  to  be 
sent  to  the  place  where  the  sun  sets.  Sometimes  they 
were  helped  by  friendly  Indians  ;  sometimes  they  were 
kept  for  a  while  as  prisoners  ;  sometimes  they  were  looked 
upon  as  gods  or  as  great  medicine  men.  Whenever  they 
came  to  deserts  or  tribes  of  warlike  Indians  they  were 
obliged  to  take  roundabout  routes.  But  they  kept  on  in 


62 


Discoverers  and  Explorers 


the  general  direction  of  south  and  west,  where  they  knew 
Mexico  must  be. 

Finally  they  heard  rumors  of  white  men  farther  west. 
They  came  to  a  place  where  horses  had  been  tied  to  a 
stake.  Surely  this  was  a  sign  of  Spaniards.  Almost  with- 
out rest  they  pushed  on  until  they  overtook  the  white  men. 
How  they  longed  for  and  still  dreaded  the  first  words  from 
their  lips !  Would  they  be  Spanish,  or  were  the  poor 
strangers  still  among  enemies  ?  The  first  words  set  at  rest 
all  doubts  and  fears.  It  was  their  native  tongue  which  the 


up posed  Wanderings 
CABEZA  DE  VAC. 

cording  to  H.H.  Bancroft 


wanderers  heard  ;  but  it  was  some  time  before  De  Vaca  and 
his  friends  could  make  their  countrymen  believe  their 
story. 

The  story  of  De  Vaca  was  deeply  interesting  to  the 
governor;  but  when  he  had  finished  it,  there  was  some- 
thing else  which  the  eager  listener  wanted  to  know.  Had 
the  Spaniards  seen  any  gold  and  silver  on  their  wander- 


Reports  of  the  Seven  Cities  63 

ings  ?  Were  there  any  rich  cities  to  plunder  ?  Yes,  De 
Vaca  had  heard  of  large  cities,  and  he  was  sure  that  there 
were  precious  metals  in  the  country  through  which  he  had 
passed.  The  Indians  had  had  some,  and  they  spoke  of 
jewels,  or  so  De  Vaca  had  understood  them.  His  words 
revived  the  old  story  about  the  Seven  Cities  of  Cibola  and 
the  rich  country  to  the  north.  Again  the  Spaniards  deter- 
mined to  hunt  for  those  cities.  All  the  old  enthusiasm  to 
explore  the  interior  was  awakened,  and  expeditions  were 
soon  on  their  way  to  the  north.  Before  the  Spaniards, 
now,  was  the  real  California  of  their  dreams,  but  they  were 
not  yet  to  discover  it  or  its  hidden  wealth. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  kind  of  cities  did  the  Spaniards  picture  to  them- 
selves from  the  reports  of  Tejos  and  Cabeza  de  Vaca?  What  was  knowl- 
edge and  what  was  hearsay  in  the  stories  told  by  the  two  men?  In 
what  direction  from  Mexico  did  they  imagine  the  wonderful  cities  to  be 
located?  What  was  the  route  followed  by  Cabeza  de  Vaca?  What 
besides  the  appearance  of  De  Vaca  and  his  companions  led  the  Spaniards 
to  believe  them  crazed?  How  could  the  Spaniards  account  for  their 
coming  except  by  believing  their  story?  What  probably  led  the  Span- 
iards to  accept  as  true  the  story  of  the  wanderers? 


CHAPTER  V 
FRAY  MARCOS  DE  NIZA 

AMONG  those  who  were  most  interested  by  the  stories  of 
Cabeza  de  Vaca  was  a  priest  called  Fray  Marcos  de  Niza.1 
He  met  and  talked  with  the  wanderers  from  Florida,  and 
as  he  listened  to  their  accounts  of  the  countries  to  the 
north,  he  was  stirred  by  the  desire  to  see  them  for  himself. 

Fray  Marcos  was  a  bold  man,  for  he  planned  to  go 
almost  alone  into  the  savage  country  from  which  De  Vaca 
had  recently  escaped.  He  was,  however,  well  fitted  for 
such  an  undertaking,  for  he  had  been  in  Peru  with  Pizarro, 
and  he  had  lived  and  worked  long  among  the  Indians  of 
Mexico.  He  persuaded  the  negro  Stephen  to  go  with  him  as 
a  guide,  and  a  few  Indian  servants  carried  the  things  which 
he  might  need  on  the  way. 

The  Indians  for  the  most  part  treated  him  in  a  kindly 
manner ;  and  as  he  neared  the  farther  limit  of  his  explora- 
tions, he  sent  the  negro  Stephen  ahead  of  his  companions 
to  hunt  out  the  way.  Stephen  put  up  crosses  at  different 
points  to  indicate  the  road  which  he  had  taken  ;  he  also 
either  left  some  statement  of  what  he  had  learned,  or  sent 
back  a  messenger  with  news  for  the  priest.  At  last 
word  was  taken  back  that  the  seven  cities  were  not  far  in 

iNiza  (Ne'tha). 
64 


Fray  Marcos  de  Niza  65 

advance  of  the  little  party.  Fray  Marcos  hastened  on, 
feeling  that  the  end  of  his  journey  was  near;  but  as  he 
approached  the  valley  where  the  cities  were  said  to  be,  he 
was  met  by  some  of  the  Indian  servants  who  had  followed 
Stephen.  They  were  in  great  fear,  and  brought  the 
appalling  news  that  the  negro  had  been  killed  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  first  city. 

Fray  Marcos  was  in  a  grievous  dilemma.  His  guide 
was  dead;  his  Mexican  Indians  were  so  frightened  that 
they  refused  to  go  near  the  city  again.  Bold  as  the  priest 
was,  he  did  not  wish  to  take  the  risk  of  losing  his  life. 
He  wanted  to  take  back  to  Mexico  an  account  of  the 
country  which  he  had  explored,  and  of  the  seven  cities 
which  were  at  last  discovered.  He  determined  to  have  a 
view  of  the  wonderful  cities,  for  he  was  told  that  they  were 
not  far  away.  Going  to  the  top  of  a  hill  that  overlooked 
the  valley  beyond  him,  he  gazed  upon  the  land  that  he 
had  come  so  far  to  find. 

Scattered  on  the  plain  below  were,  indeed,  seven  cities, 
or  villages.  To  the  priest's  excited  imagination  they 
seemed  to  rival  the  splendors  of  Mexico  and  Peru.  The 
houses  were  very  large,  four,  five,  and  even  seven  stories 
in  height,  with  flat  roofs,  and  built  of  something  that 
shone  in  the  sun,  so  thought  Fray  Marcos.  For  days  the 
Indians  along  his  route  had  been  telling  him  of  the  mag- 
nificence of  these  cities;  they  were  without  doubt  the 
same  of  which  Cabeza  de  Vaca  had  heard  when  he  was  far 
to  the  southeast.  The  friar  remembered  the  wealth  of 
the  palaces  of  Mexico  and  Peru,  and  pictured  to  himself  the 
rich  rooms  probably  in  the  houses  before  him.  He  called 

SPAN.   IN    SOUTHWEST — 5 


66  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

to  mind  the  tales  told  by  the  Indians  about  emeralds  and 
turquoises  over  the  doors  of  the  dwellings  in  the  seven 
cities.  He  could  accept  any  report  that  came  to  his  ears. 
Fray  Marcos  gazed  long  at  the  scene  below  him,  and 
then  turned  slowly  back  toward  Mexico,  to  tell  his  story 
to  eager  listeners. 

His  journey  had  been  indeed  a  remarkable  one;  and 
he  told  not  only  what  he  had  seen  himself,  but  all  that 
had  been  related  to  him  by  the  Indians,  and  all  that  his 
fancy  had  pictured.  More  marvelous  still  grew  the  stories 
as  they  passed  quickly  from  mouth  to  mouth  among  the 
Spaniards  in  Mexico.  Everybody  was  fired  with  the 
desire  to  start  immediately  for  the  seven  cities.  The  com- 
mon soldiers  who  were  to  be  sent  by  the  governor  were 
looked  on  with  envy,  and  sometimes  their  places  were 
bought,  if  the  lucky  men  could  be  induced  to  sell. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1539  that  Fray  Marcos  went 
to  the  seven  cities.  Cortes  was  still  in  Mexico,  but  it  was 
after  his  removal  from  the  governorship.  The  viceroy,  or 
governor  of>  the  country,  was  Mendoza,  who  was  eager  to 
outdo  Cortes  in  his  discoveries.  A  third  man  in  Mexico 
had  been  given  permission  to  send  out  exploring  parties ; 
this  was  Alvarado,  the  governor  of  one  of  the  provinces. 
On  the  return  of  Fray  Marcos  with  his  stories  of  great 
wealth,  all  three  of  these  men  planned  to  make  expeditions 
into  the  north.  Cortes  started  his  first,  sending  it  by 
water  up  the  coast,  under  the  command  of  an  able  man 
named  Ulloa.  The  shore  was  explored  some  distance 
north,  and  then  the  ships  were  obliged  to  return  on  ac- 
count of  severe  winds,  mutinous  sailors,  and  scanty  pro- 


Fray  Marcos  de  Niza  67 

visions.  The  enemies  of  Cortes  were  working  against 
him  with  the  emperor,  and  soon  after  the  return  of  his 
vessels  in  1540,  Cortes  sailed  for  Spain  on  a  last,  un- 
happy voyage  never  to  return. 

Alvarado  collected  a  large  fleet,  but  he  finally  joined  his 
forces  with  those  of  Mendoza.  Mendoza  planned  two 
expeditions  for  the  spring  of  1 540.  One  was  to  go  by  land 
to  take  possession  of  the  seven  cities  found  by  Fray 
Marcos ;  the  other  was  to  go  by  water  up  the  coast  to  a 
point  near  which  the  land  company  was  supposed  to  pass, 
and  to  send  it  men  and  supplies  if  such  were  needed.  The 
leader  of  the  land  force  was  Coronado ;  the  fleet  was  under 
the  charge  of  Alarcon. 

QUESTIONS.  —  In  what  ways  did  the  early  journeys  of  Fray  Marcos 
fit  him  for  the  difficulties  of  looking  for  the  seven  cities  ?  Mention  at 
least  three  characteristics  of  the  man.  Why  should  he  wish  to  look  at 
the  cities  when  it  was  not  possible  for  him  to  enter  them  ?  What  did 
he  really  see  ?  What  led  him  to  imagine  more  than  he  saw  ? 


CHAPTER  VI 
CORONADO  AND  ALARCON1 

CORONADO  was  the  rich  and  powerful  governor  of  one 
of  the  provinces  of  New  Spain,  as  Mexico  was  called  at 
that  time.  He  had  been  much  interested 
in  the  story  of  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  and  in  his 
belief  that  rich  countries  lay  to  the  north ; 
he  had  helped  plan  the  expedition  of  Fray 
Marcos ;  and,  on  the  return  of  that  priest, 
he  had  hurried  with  him  to  the  viceroy,  to 
urge  that  an  expedition  should  be  sent 
immediately  to  the  seven  cities.  It  was 
natural  that  a  man  so  interested  in  affairs 
should  be  chosen  as  a  leader,  especially 
since  he  was  a  general  favorite  in  Mexico, 
and  connected  with  some  of  the  first  fami- 
lies in  Spain. 

It  was  a  fine  army  which  Coronado  led 
But  before  the  deserts  were  crossed,  many 
of  the  men  became  discouraged.  The  places  mentioned 
by  Fray  Marcos  were  very  disappointing.  A  building 
which  he  had  described  enthusiastically  as  almost  like  a 
fort  was  found  to  be  only  a  ruined  house,  a  little  larger 


One  of  Coronado's 
soldiers 

out  of  Mexico. 


1  Alarcon  (A-lar-kon'). 
68 


Coronado  and  Alarcon  69 

than  some  others,  and  plastered  on  the  outside  with  red 
mud.  Every  one,  including  Coronado,  began  to  feel  that 
their  guide  had  seen  many  things  through  the  rosy  specta- 
cles of  fancy,  and  that  they  would  find  the  realities  far 
duller  in  color.  But  there  was  still  faith  in  the  seven 
cities ;  these  had  been  heard  of  from  so  many  sources 
that  they,  at  least,  must  be  genuine. 

How  bitter,  then,  was  the  disappointment  when  the  hill 
was  finally  reached  from  which  Fray  Marcos  had  looked 


A  native  village  in  New  Mexico 

down  on  the  famous  cities.  Houses  of  mud !  Villages, 
not  one  of  which  could  shelter  more  than  two  hundred 
people  !  To  be  sure  the  houses  were  palaces  when  com- 
pared with  the  Indian  huts,  but  those  were  so  wretched. 
The  beans,  melons,  and  pumpkins  raised  in  the  rich  valley 


70  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

must  have  seemed  abundance  to  the  natives  who  often 
went  hungry  in  the  dry  sandy  regions.  But  how  had  the 
fame  of  these  cities  been  spread  so  far,  if  the  buildings 
below  were  all  on  which  to  base  the  stories  of  the  splen- 
dors of  the  long-sought  seven  cities  ?  No  one  could  tell. 

There  was  no  time  to  give  expression  to  anger  or  dis- 
appointment ;  no  time  even  to  gaze  at  the  scene  below. 
The  Indians  of  the  first  village  were  drawn  up  to  fight  the 
approaching  strangers.  The  battle  which  followed  was 
fierce  but  short.  Coronado  was  wounded  twice,  for  he 
was  constantly  in  the  front  of  the  fight,  and  his  shining 
armor  was  a  good  target  for  the  stones  and  arrows  of  the 
Indians.  Spanish  arms  conquered,  however,  and  in  less 
than  an  hour  the  battle  was  won.  Soon  after,  the  neighbor- 
ing villages  also  yielded.  The  first  village  was  made  the 
stronghold  for  the  Spanish  army,  and  thus  the  rule  of 
Spain  began  in  the  southwestern  part  of  what  is  now  the 
United  States. 

In  Coronado's  letter  to  Mendoza,  telling  of  the  victory, 
he  says  that  the  name  Cibola,  by  which  the  seven  cities 
had  so  long  been  known,  was  given  by  the  natives  to  the 
whole  kingdom,  and  not  to  any  one  village.  As  nearly  as 
the  place  can  be  located  now,  it  is  in  southern  or  western 
New  Mexico.  When  the  traveler  of  to-day  looks  at  the 
remarkable  buildings  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers  of  this  region, 
and  considers  that  they  were  built  long  before  the  white 
people  had  visited  the  land,  he  can  understand  how  great 
they  seemed  to  the  simple  natives  in  their  lowly  huts,  and 
he  can  almost  excuse  the  wild  fancies  of  Fray  Marcos 
about  their  wealth. 


Coronado  and  Alarcon 


Coronado  was  determined  to  learn  all  that  he  could 
about  the  country  to  which  he  had  come.  He  heard 
nothing  of  gold  mines,  although  the  Indians  showed  him 
some  small  pieces  of  both  gold  and  silver,  but  he  deter- 


•B 


I 


\ 


Homes  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers 

mined  to  investigate  for  himself.  At  one  village  in  what 
is  now  New  Mexico,  he  met  an  Indian  whom  the  Spaniard's 
nicknamed  "  the  Turk,"  on  account  of  his  peculiar  appear- 
ance. He  had  been  brought  captive  to  New  Mexico  after 
one  of  the  numerous  wars  between  the  fierce  tribes  of  that 
country  and  the  people  farther  east  He  was  unhappy 
and  eager  to  return  to  his  home  far  to  the  east,  and  he 
seems  to  have  thought  that  here  was  a  chance  to  go  under 
strong  protection.  He  heard  the  white  men  inquiring 
about  gold,  silver,  emeralds,  turquoises ;  and  we  must 


Discoverers  and  Explorers 


believe  that  he  was  clever  enough  to  make  them  think  that 
he  could  lead  them  to  great  wealth.  He  told  about  great 
quantities  of  gold  and  silver  to  the  north  and  east ;  about 
large  rivers  which  watered  the  land;  green  grass  and 
forests  of  trees,  such  as  could  not  grow  in  the  deserts  of 
New  Mexico,  were  everywhere,  he  said.  The  stories  of 
vast  wealth  were  false,  but  much  of  what  he  said  was  true, 
for  the  man  was  probably  a  prisoner  from  the  region  of 
prairies  and  forests. 

The  Spaniards  eagerly  believed  all  that  was  told  them, 
and  started  off  toward  the  plains  of  Kansas,  taking  the 
so-called  "  Turk "  with  them  as  a  guide.  Thus  began 
one  of  the  most  notable  marches  in  the  history  of  our 

country. 

It  was  not  long 
before  the  company 
reached  the  land 
where  the  "wild 
cows"  lived,  as  the 
Spaniards  called  the  buffa- 
loes. The  soldiers  wrote 
home  about  them  as  "the 
most  monstrous  thing  in 
the  way  of  an  animal 
which  has  ever  been  seen 
or  read  about."  They 
soon  killed  some,  although 
it  was  at  the  risk  of  their  horses'  lives,  so  strong  and 
fierce  were  the  buffaloes.  There  were  as  many  of 
them  as  there  were  fish  in  the  sea,  said  the  men;  and 


Buffaloes 


Coronado  and  Alarcon 


73 


on  all  their  long  march  they  were  not  again  for  any 
length  of  time  out  of  sight  of  the  immense  herds  which 
then  roamed  over  the  country  north  and  east  of  New 
Mexico. 

The  farther  Coronado  and  his  little  army  went,  the  less 
their  surroundings  looked  like  the  rich  places  which  the 
guide  had  promised  to  show  them,  and  the  more  the  Span- 
iards doubted  the  Indi- 
an's story.  They  be- 
gan to  think  that  he 
had  been  sent  by  the 
Indians  of  New  Mexico 
to  lead  them  on  and  on 
in  these  endless  plains 
until  they  died  or  were 
killed  by  the  savages. 
At  last  the  soldiers 
begged  not  to  be  taken 
farther  into  this  awful,  unknown  country.  Coronado 
thought  that  it  was  unnecessary  for  the  whole  army  to 
go  on,  and  therefore  sent  back  all  but  about  thirty  men. 
With  these  he  decided  to  take  all  the  risks  and  push  on 
to  Quivira,  the  city  about  which  he  had  heard  in  Cibola, 
and  which  the  guide  had  told  him  was  so  rich. 

Coronado  and  his  men  marched  onward  until  they 
reached  the  plains  of  southern  Kansas.  Almost  in  fear  they 
looked  around.  The  plains,  so  great,  so  wide,  so  unbounded, 
seemed  to  them  like  the  ocean.  In  all  directions  was  the 
low  horizon  line,  unbroken  by  trees  or  mountains.  There 
was  nothing  to  guide  them,  and  the  men  asked  themselves 


Picture  of  buffalo  drawn  by  Spaniards 


74  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

if  they  should  ever  be  able  to  find  their  way  back  to 
Mexico. 

"  There  are  no  paths  here,"  they  complained  to  each 
other,  "  except  those  made  by  the  wild  cows,  and  they  lead 
nowhere.  The  earth  is  so  level  that  we  do  not  know  where 
we  are  or  where  we  have  been.  If  one  of  us  wanders 
away  after  the  cows,  and  loses  sight  of  the  rest  of  the 
party,  he  is  lost  forever,  and  will  die  miserably." 

Finally  Coronado  reached  Quivira.  But  how  different 
it  was  from  the  stories  he  had  heard  from  the  lips  of  the 
guide !  Instead  of  large  houses  there  were  only  huts  of 
straw.  Instead  of  cities  there  were  wretched,  dirty  little 
villages ;  for  the  Indians  kept  moving  from  place  to  place, 
wherever  they  were  hunting  the  buffaloes  which  fur- 
nished them  with  nearly  everything  needed  to  eat  and 
to  wear. 

The  natives  did  not  know  what  Coronado  meant  by  gold 
and  silver,  and  they  had  no  jewels.  They  did  have  a  few 
copper  vessels,  which  they  said  came  from  "on  beyond." 
They  raised  corn,  beans,  melons,  and  pumpkins ;  and  the 
Spaniards  saw  some  wild  fruit  and  nuts  growing.  But 
there  was  nothing  in  Quivira  to  reward  Coronado  for  all 
his  time  and  labor,  nor  to  pay  back  the  money  he  had 
borrowed  in  order  to  make  the  expedition.  He  would  be 
a  ruined  man  when  he  returned  to  Mexico. 

Besides  his  own  disappointment,  there  was  the  king  of 
Spain  to  think  about.  He  had  found  nothing  in  all  this 
vast  country  that  the  king  would  care  to  have ;  and  it  was 
so  far  away  from  Mexico  that  it  would  be  useless  to  try 
to  make  settlements.  What  could  Coronado  write  home 


Coronado  and  Alarcon 


7$ 


about  this  expedition  from  which  so  much  had  been  hoped  ? 
Perhaps  the  king  would  lose  all  faith  in  him,  and  leave  him 
to  his  debts  and  disappointments. 

It  was  a  sad  letter  which  the  young  explorer  wrote  the 
king.     In  it  he  speaks  of  the  stories  told  him  about  the 


NEV 


Supposed  Route  of 
CORONADO 

By  Dellenbaugh.  in  Journal  of 


fine  city  of  Quivira ;  and  about  its  kings  who  "  were  served 
with  dishes  of  gold,  and  other  very  magnificent  things." 
He  continued  in  the  same  letter :  "  Although  I  did  not 
believe  it  before  I  had  set  eyes  on  it,  it  appeared  to  me 
that  it  should  be  investigated  for  Your  Majesty's  service, 
and  I  determined  to  go  and  see  it  with  the  men  I  have 


76  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

here."     He  finished  the  letter  in  a  way  considered  proper 
by  so  loyal  and  courteous  a  subject  as  himself. 

"  And  may  our  Lord  protect  the  Holy  Imperial  Catholic 
person  of  Your  Majesty,  with  increase  of  greater  kingdoms 
and  powers,  as  your  loyal  servants  and  vassals  desire. 
Your  Majesty's  humble  servant  and  vassal,  who  would  kiss 
the  Royal  feet  and  hands. 

"  FRANCISCO  VASQUEZ  1  CORONADO." 

There  was  little  brightness  for  Coronado  on  his  return 
to  Mexico.  Some  who  have  written  of  his  life  say  that 
the  viceroy  was  very  angry  with  him  because  he  had 
given  up  the  march  to  the  north.  For  many  who  had 
not  been  on  that  trying  journey  over  the  deserts,  through 
the  mountains,  and  across  the  sealike  plains,  still  be- 
lieved that  these  lands  were  as  rich  in  gold  and  silver  as 
Mexico  had  been.  Broken-hearted  by  disappointment, 
and  overwhelmed  with  debts,  Coronado  went  to  his  own 
province.  There  he  lived  almost  alone,  seeing  few  people ; 
and  there  he  died  neglected. 

Neither  he  nor  those  who  knew  him  ever  realized  what 
a  wonderful  march  he  had  made.  To-day  it  can  be  under- 
stood. He  went  from  Mexico  through  the  deserts  of  New 
Mexico,  north  and  east  into  southern  Kansas.  A  priest 
who  went  with  him,  and  who  decided  to  stay  in  Quivira  to 
convert  the  Indians,  was  killed  there  not  long  after  the 
departure  of  Coronado.  He  was  probably  the  first  martyr 
of  the  church  in  the  central  part  of  our  country.  He  was 
at  his  good  work  of  trying  to  convert  the  Indians  of  Kan- 

1  Vasquez  (Vas-keth'). 


Coronado  and  Alarcon 


77 


sas  only  fifty  years  after  the  landing  of  Columbus  on  the 
West  India  islands,  and  seventy-five  years  before  the  Eng- 
lish made  their  settlement  at  Plymouth,  Massachusetts. 

Some  of  the  explorers  were 
sorry  to  give  up  the  attempt 
to  learn  more  about  this  great 
interior  plain,  and  in  later 
days  one  of  them  wrote  thus 
about  it :  — 

"God  reserved  its  discov- 
ery to  others.  He  only  per- 
mitted us  to  boast  of  being 
the  first  who  had  any  knowl- 
edge of  it.  May  the  Lord's 
will  be  done." 


While  Coronado  was  mak- 
ing his  fruitless  march  to 
Quivira,  Alarcon  was  coast- 
ing up  the  shore  with  two 
ships,  hoping  that  at  some 
of  his  landing  places  he 
would  get  news  of  the  land, 
expedition.  The  Spanish  at 
.that  time  still  believed  that 
Lower  California  was  an 
island,  cut  off  from  the 

mainland  by  the  Gulf  of  California,  or  the  Sea  of  Cortes, 
as  it  was  then  often  called. 

Alarcon  was  ordered  to  sail  up  the  eastern  coast  of  the 


Canyon  of  the  Colorado 


78  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

supposed  island.  This  course  brought  him  to  the  head  of 
the  gulf,  which  had  been  visited  but  not  explored  by  Ulloa 
on  his  voyage  for  Cortes.  The  broad  stream  fldwing  into 
the  gulf  was  discovered,  and  Alarcon  sailed  up  it  a  short 
distance.  He  was  told  by  the  Indians  that  Cibola  was 
only  a  few  days'  march  inland,  but  not  one  of  his  men 
would  venture  to  carry  a  message  to  Coronado,  who  was 
said  to  be  already  there.  Before  Alarcon  could  arrange  to 
take  his  whole  force  across  the  dry  and  hostile  country 
between  him  and  Cibola,  he  learned  that  Coronado  had 
gone  farther  north.  It  was  useless  to  try  to  overtake  him, 
so  Alarcon  returned  to  Mexico,  having  accomplished  noth- 
ing but  the  discovery  of  the  Colorado  River. 

Mendoza  was  angered  that  the  expedition  had  done  so 
little.  The  leader  was  disgraced,  and  left  to  die  of  grief 
in  a  distant  province.  Surely  the  Spanish  discoverers  and 
explorers  paid  heavily  for  any  lack  of  success. 

Two  years  after  the  return  of  Alarcon,  Mendoza  sent 
out  another  expedition  under  the  charge  of  a  noted 
Portuguese  navigator,  Juan  Cabrillo. 

QUESTIONS.  — With  what  object  in  view  did  Coronado  leave  Mexico? 
When  he  and  his  soldiers  were  on  the  hill  overlooking  the  Indian 
villages  why  did  they  not  picture  to  themselves  rich  cities  like  those 
imagined  by  Fray  Marcos?  Why  should  these  cities  have  seemed  so 
great  to  the  neighboring  tribes  of  Indians?  What  reason  for  thinking 
that  they  may  have  been  the  ones  visited  by  Tejos  and  his  father? 
Why  may  they  have  been  those  heard  about  by  Cabeza  de  Vaca?  Was 
there  any  reason  for  their  fame  among  the  natives  ? 

Why  did  not  Spain  claim  all  the  vast  country  traversed  by  Coro- 
nado? Why  was  Coronado  sad  when  he  wrote  his  letter  to  the  king  of 
Spain  ? 

Why  was  Alarcon's  expedition  a  failure? 


CHAPTER   VII 


THE    SPANISH    CLAIM    TO    THE    PACIFIC    OCEAN 

To  understand  why  Spain  thought  that  she  had  so  good 
a  claim  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  to  all  the  islands  in  it,  and 
to  all  the  lands  border- 
ing it,  we  must  go  back 
to  the  beginning  of  the 
period  of  discoveries. 

Before  Columbus 
started  out  from  Spain 
to  find  Asia  by  sailing 
west,  several  of  the 
nations  of  Europe  had 
been  getting  rich  goods 
from  India  and  China, 
which  had  been  car- 
ried by  caravans  across  the  deserts  of  Asia.  The  cara- 
van routes,  however,  were  so  dangerous  and  the  journey 
required  so  much  time,  that  people  began  to  wonder 
if  some  easier  way  could  not  be  discovered.  This  thought 
led  Columbus  to  study  all  the  maps  and  charts  he  could 
find,  to  see  how  much  truth  there  was  in  the  theory 
that  the  world  is  round.  The  same  idea  caused  the  Por- 
tuguese to  send  out  ships  to  see  if,  by  sailing  around 

79 


Spanish  ships  of  war 


8o  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

Africa,  a  water  route  to  China  and  India  might  not  be 
discovered.  Both  Spain  and  Portugal  were  trying  to  find 
an  easier  way  to  reach  the  far  East ;  the  one  by  going 
west,  the  other  by  going  east. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  at  this  time  most  of  the 
people  of  Europe  thought  the  world  to  be  flat,  and  the 
only  countries  known  to  them  outside  of  Europe  were 
those  in  Asia  and  Africa  which  bordered  the  Mediterra- 
nean Sea.  Africa  was  almost  unknown,  except  that  it 
was  a  large  region  south  of  the  Mediterranean.  With  all 
the  world  so  strange  to  them,  it  required  as  much  courage 
for  the  Portuguese  sailors  to  explore  the  hot  coasts  of 
western  Africa  as  it  did  for  Columbus  to  steer  his  vessel 
across  the  seemingly  shoreless  Atlantic. 

The  Portuguese  were  the  first  to  reach  the  hoped-for 
rich  lands  of  the  East,  and  they  came  back  loaded  with 
the  silks,  spices,  and  jewels  for  which  all  Europe  was  so 
ready  to  pay  the  highest  prices.  Their  success  meant 
wealth  to  Portugal.  About  the  time  that  they  returned, 
Columbus  came  back  from  his  first  voyage,  and  told  of 
the  lands  which  he  had  found.  The  Spanish  were  greatly 
disappointed,  for  Columbus  had  but  few  treasures  to  show, 
and  the  savage  lands  which  he  had  discovered  were  not 
much  like  the  golden  kingdoms  of  India  and  China. 
Although  he  was  aided  in  making  his  voyages,  far  more 
interest  was  shown  in  the  search  by  other  Spanish  vessels 
for  the  countries  visited  regularly  by  the  Portuguese. 

When  it  became  generally  known  that  Columbus  had 
reached  new  islands  in  the  west,  trouble  arose  between 
Spain  and  Portugal.  Ignorant  of  the  real  size  of  the 


The  Spanish  Claim  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  81 

world,  they  thought  that  their  vessels  had  found  the  same 
countries  or  their  islands.  They  did  not  know  that 
America  and  the  wide  Pacific  lay  between  the  islands 
where  Columbus  had  seen  the  gentle,  friendly  people 
whom  he  had  called  Indians,  and  the  places  where  the 
Portuguese  had  bought  their  goods.  Neither  country 
would  give  up  its  claim  to  the  lands  found,  nor  to  the 
right  to  sail  over  the  ocean  to  them ;  neither  would  con- 
sent to  share  its  newly  discovered  possessions  with  the 
other.  Finally,  since  they  had  to  agree  on  something, 
they  said  that  they  would  let  the  Pope  settle  their  quarrel. 
The  Pope,  Alexander  VI,  gave  the  quarreling  nations 
a  famous  decision.  He  divided  the  still  unknown  world 
between  them.  He  said  that  they  should  imagine  a  line 
drawn  north  and  south  through  the  Atlantic,  three  hun- 
dred and  seventy  leagues  west  of  the  Cape  Verde  Islands. 
The  lands  found,  or  to  be  foundj  west  of  this  line  should 
belong  to  Spain;  all  those  east  of  it  to  Portugal.  With 
this  decision  both  countries  were  very  well  satisfied,  as, 
indeed,  they  ought  to  be ;  for  it  gave  the  western  half  of 
the  world  to  one  of  them,  and  the  eastern  half  to  the 
other,  and  left  nothing  for  the  other  countries  of  Europe. 
Both  nations  hurried  ships  and  men  to  the  far  East ;  those 
from  Spain  went  west  around  South  America,  those  from 
Portugal  went  east  around  the  southern  part  of  Africa. 
All  went  well  until  the  ships  of  the  two  countries  met 
on  the  farther  side  of  the  world.  This  meeting  took  place 
in  the  Philippine  Islands,  where  the  old  quarrel  began 
again,  and  each  nation  was  as  disobliging  as  possible  to 
the  other. 

SPAN.    IN    SOUTHWEST  —  6 


82  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

Portugal  claimed  all  of  the  ocean  east  of  Europe,  as 
well  as  all  of  the  land,  and  would  not  let  the  Spanish  sail 
around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  although  that  was  by  far 
the  shorter  route.  Therefore,  the  Spanish  trading  vessels 
in  the  far  East  were  obliged  to  take  the  long  way  home,  — 
across  the  Pacific,  around  South  America,  and  across  the 
Atlantic.  This  was  a  very,  very  long  voyage,  and  it 
required  so  many  weeks  to  cross  the  Pacific  that  the 
sailors  often  became  sick  with  scurvy ;  so  there  was  much 
talk  about  trying  to  make  a  settlement  somewhere  on  the 
coast  of  California.  There  were  other  reasons  why  Spain 
was  desirous  of  exploring  the  countries  on  the  Pacific. 
It  was  believed  that  the  Pacific  and  the  Atlantic  were 
connected  by  a  strait,  somewhere  to  the  north,  which  had 
even  been  named,  the  Straits  of  Anian.  It  was  very 
important  for  Spain  to  find  this  passage,  and  so  shorten 
the  voyage  to  the  East.  By  and  by,  also,  English  vessels 
had  ventured  into  the  Pacific,  and  coasted  along  the 
western  shores  of  North  America ;  and  there  was  reason 
to  fear  that  England  would  claim  the  land  visited  by  her 
ships.  Consequently  the  Spanish  king  commanded  that 
the  northern  coast  of  the  Pacific  should  be  claimed  and 
settled. 

QUESTIONS.  — What  did  Spain  hope  for  from  the  voyages  of ' 
Columbus  ?  What  nation  was  her  rival  ?  Why  was  there  no  trouble 
with  other  nations  when  the  Pope  divided  the  world  between  the  two  ? 
Do  you  know  whether  this  decision  held  good  ?  Into  what  explora- 
tions did  it  lead  Spain  ?  Why  are  her  trips  studied  here,  and  those  of 
Portugal  omitted  ?  Why  did  Spain  finally  decide  to  explore  the  Pacific 
coast  of  America  ?  Why  had  she  not  done  so  before  ? 


CHAPTER    VIII 
CABRILLO   AND    VISCAINO 

JUAN  CABRILLO,  the  leader  whom  Mendoza  selected  to 
command  the  expedition  up  the  Pacific  coast,  was  so  brave 
and  daring  that  the  viceroy  believed  he  would  stop  at  no 
difficulty  that  could  be  overcome.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  so  careful  and  had  such  good  judgment  that  he  would 
not  rashly  take  any  unnecessary  risks. 

Cabrillo  had  two  ships,  both  of  which  were  small  and 
slow.  One  of  them  was  even  without  a  deck  to  protect  the 
sailors  from  the  rough  winds  and  storms  which  they  might 
encounter.  It  was  almost  the  last  of  June  when  the  ex- 
plorer sailed  from  Navidad,  on  the  western  coast  of  Mexico, 
under  orders  to  stop  in  all  the  important  bays  and  harbors 
and  to  make  maps  and  charts  of  the  places  visited. 

As  the  little  fleet  sailed  north,  Cabrillo  landed  at  every 
convenient  harbor  and  took  possession  of  the  adjoining 
country  in  the  name  of  the  king  of  Spain.  He  went  far- 
ther north  than  any  of  the  vessels  which  had  been  before 
him.  He  passed  the  coast  of  what  is  now  called  Lower 
California,  and  finally  sailed  into  San  Diego  Bay.  For  the 
first  time,  probably,  white  men  looked  at  the  beautiful  line 
of  hills  circling  away  from  the  ocean  ;  for  the  first  time 
Point  Loma  stretched  its  long  arms  protectingly  around 

83 


84 


Discoverers  and  Explorers 


the  white  man's  ships.  Charmed  with  the  security  of  the 
landlocked  bay,  with  the  surrounding  country  sloping  like 
an  immense  amphitheater  to  the  blue  water,  and  with 
the  mellow  sunlight  over  all,  Cabrillo  took  possession  for 
Spain.  Whether  he  dreamed,  while  doing  so,  that  the  day 
would  come  when  the  ships  of  civilized  nations  would  float 


Island  of  Santa  Catalina 

on  the  bay  and  a  city  spring  up  on  the  sunny  shores  we 
do  not  know. 

Cabrillo  could  not  stay  long  anywhere,  no  matter  how 
attractive  the  place.  He  had  been  sent  out  to  learn  about 
the  whole  coast,  and  he  pushed  on  farther  north,  to  still 
unknown  lands  and  waters.  He  visited  the  island  of 
Santa  Catalina,  so  famous  for  its  beauty ;  then  he  went 


Cabrillo  and  Viscaiuo  85 

back  to  the  mainland,  where  the  friendly  Indians  gazed  in 
wonder  at  the  great  winged  ships,  as  they  called  the  sail- 
ing vessels.  Again  and  again  he  landed  to  trade  with  the 
natives  or  to  admire  the  region  ;  and  he  never  failed  to 
claim  the  country  for  Spain.  The  summer  passed  all  too 
quickly  for  the  voyage  which  he  was  expected  to  make. 

It  was  nearing  winter  when  Cabrillo  rounded  Point  Con- 
ception. Storms  were  soon  rolling  his  little  vessels  and  driv- 
ing them  far  from  each  other  and  out  to  sea.  In  the  smaller 
one,  which  had  no  deck,  the  sailors  suffered  cruelly  from 
the  cold  and  waves.  After  the  storm  had  spent  its  fury,  the 
ships  came  together  again  and,  rounding  another  point, 
they  sailed  into  the  quieter  waters  of  a  bay.  To  a  project- 
ing headland  past  which  they  sailed,  the  name  was  given  by 
which  it  is  still  known,  Point  Pinos.  The  quaintly  shaped, 
wind-swept  pines  which  suggested  the  name  were  greeted 
with  pleasure  by  the  sailors,  for  trees  so  near  the  ocean 
were  rare  all  along  the  coast  which  they  were  exploring. 

Cabrillo  wished  to  land,  but  even  the  bay  was  still  too 
rough  to  permit  him  to  anchor  his  ships  securely ;  so,  to 
the  regret  of  all  on  board,  the  cypress-grown  shores  were 
soon  left  behind.  It  remained  for  an  explorer  of  a  later 
day  to  give  the  bay  its  present  name  of  Monterey. 

Slowly  Cabrillo's  little  vessels  worked  their  way  north. 
Storms  tossed  and  hindered  them,  and  the  sailors  suffered 
much  from  the  cold.  Brave  man  as  Cabrillo  was,  and  anx- 
ious to  obey  orders  and  learn  all  about  the  coast,  he  finally 
knew  it  to  be  wiser  to  abandon  the  voyage.  He  was  not 
far  from  San  Francisco  Bay  when  he  gave  the  order  to 
turn  south;  he  started  on  his  return,  promising  himself  to 


86 


Discoverers  and  Explorers 


come  again  into  these  waters,  and  sail  along  the  coast  that 
frowned  so  forbiddingly  at  him. 

Cabrillo  had  made  his  last  voyage.     Instead  of   going 
back  to  Mexico,  he  landed  on  an  island  off  Santa  Barbara. 


Point  Pinos 

There  he  planned  to  spend  the  rest  of  the  winter  and  then 
to  start  north  again  in  the  spring.  But  on  the  island  he 
died  and  was  buried. 

Even  in  his  death  he  was  true  to  the  mission  that  the 
viceroy  had  given  him,  for  almost  his  last  words  were  to 
his  chief  pilot,  urging,  commanding,  him  to  go  on  with 
the  voyage  in  the  spring,  and  to  explore  the  coast  as  far 
as  it  was  possible  for  any  ship  to  sail. 


Cabrillo  and  Viscaino  87 

Cabrillo's  voyage  was  in  1 542 ;  it  was  not  until  1 598 
that  any  effort  was  made  to  establish  a  colony  in  even  the 
northern  part  of  Mexico.  It  was  not  until  1602,  sixty 
years  after  the  voyage  of  Cabrillo,  that  another  Spanish 
vessel  sailed  into  the  harbors  which  he  had  visited.  The 
man  who  was  selected  for  this  duty  by  the  king  of  Spain 
was  Viscaino;  he  made  one  voyage  up  the  coast  in  1598, 
and  another  in  1602.  On  the  first  he  did  not  go  beyond 
Lower  California ;  the  second  was  more  important,  and  is 
the  one  which  we  shall  follow. 

Viscaino's  voyage  was  not  very  different  from  Cabrillo's. 
He  stopped  in  San  Diego,  where  he  was  charmed  by  the  bay, 
as  Cabrillo  had  been.  The  sailors  went  to  the  top  of  the 
long  ridge  of  Point  Loma.  Then  the  ships  hurried  north  in 
search  of  the  Straits  of  Anian.  Viscaino  stopped  at  Santa 
Catalina,  as  Cabrillo  had  done,  and  gave  the  island  the 
name  which  it  still  bears.  Then  on  he  sailed,  farther  north. 
Still  following  the  course  of  Cabrillo,  he  rounded  the  Point 
of  Pines,  and  dropped  anchor  in  the  bay  of  Monterey. 

The  sailors  were  glad,  indeed,  for  the  rest  on  land. 
They  wandered  from  place  to  place,  delighted  with  all 
they  saw.  The  pines  came  down  to  the  water's  edge  in 
some  places,  and,  as  it  was  December,  the  hills  were  already 
green  from  the  winter  rains.  Monterey  was  wonderfully 
beautiful  to  the  sailors,  even  as  it  is  to  us  to-day.  There 
was  plenty  of  fresh  water  in  the  streams  flowing  to  the  sea, 
and  in  the  springs  along  the  shore.  There  were  many 
wild  animals,  and  the  sailors  enjoyed  hunting  and  feast- 
ing. One  place  described  by  them  became  a  landmark  for 
those  Spaniards  who  came  many  years  later.  This  was  a 


88  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

wide-spreading  oak  tree,  close  by  the  water's  edge.  Its 
limbs  hung  so  low  that  some  of  them  were  swept  by  the 
waves.  Near  its  roots  springs  of  fresh  water  gushed  out. 
Here  Viscaino  built  a  booth  of  green  branches  and  had 
mass  said.  It  was  a  fitting  chapel  in  the  wilderness. 

After  about  two  weeks  in  Monterey  the  anchors  were 
raised,  and  the  ships  sailed  out  on  their  search  for  the 
Straits  of  Anian.  They  sailed  past  the  narrow  Golden 
Gate  that  opens  into  the  broad  waters  of  San  Francisco 
Bay.  Whether  it  was  hidden  in  fogs,  as  so  often  happens 
at  that  time  of  the  year,  or  whether  Viscaino  was  too  far 
out  to  sea  to  notice  it,  we  do  not  know;  but  he  passed 
without  seeing  what  is  perhaps  the  finest  harbor  in  all  the 
world.  He  sailed  on,  almost  to  the  southern  boundary 
of  Oregon,  and  then  was  forced  to  turn  back  on  account 
of  storms  and  the  sickness  of  many  of  his  sailors. 

In  spite  of  all  that  Viscaino  had  discovered,  and  although 
he  wrote  a  careful  account  of  his  voyage  and  sent  it  to  the 
king  of  Spain,  it  was  nearly  two  hundred  years  before  any 
settlements  were  made  north  of  Mexico.  Such  neglect 
could  hardly  be  believed  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  dur- 
ing that  period  the  power  of  Spain  had  greatly  declined. 
From  being  the  first  nation  on  the  continent,  she  sank  to 
an  inferior  power.  California  and  the  settlements  on  the 
Pacific  coast  were  not  forgotten,  but  they  were  neglected 
until  the  time  of  Father  Serra  and  the  missions. 

QUESTIONS.  —What  were  two  difficulties  which  Cabrillo  had  to  meet 
on  his  voyage  north  ?  What  did  his  expeditions  mean  for  Spain  ?  What 
bays  would  he  surely  mention  in  his  report?  Which  one  would  probably 
be  the  most  suitable  harbor  for  the  vessels  from  the  Philippines  ?  Why 
did  Spain  so  long  neglect  the  sailors  on  the  Pacific  ? 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE  ENGLISH  IN  THE  NORTH  PACIFIC 

SPAIN  and  Portugal  had  divided  the  world  between 
them  before  the  other  nations  of  Europe  realized  the  fact 
that  there  was  anything  in  the  newly  discovered  coun- 
tries worth  having.  But  as  these  two  enterprising  nations 
grew  richer  and  richer  by  reason  of  their  new  possessions, 
both  England  and  France  decided  to  win  a  share  of  the 
wealth  of  the  New  World.  Consequently  many  of  their 
vessels  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  visited  the  eastern  coast 
of  our  country,  but  for  many  years  none  of  them  ven- 
tured so  far  away  as  the  Pacific. 

No  nation,  however,  had  braver  sailors  than  England, 
and  when  it  was  known  that  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese 
had  actually  sailed  round  the  world,  English  vessels  were 
soon  fitted  out  to  attempt  the  same  perilous  exploit.  Eng- 
land and  Spain  were  not  good  friends  in  those  days ;  and  as 
the  galleons  of  Spain  came  home  loaded  with  the  treasures 
of  Mexico  and  Peru,  and  later  of  the  far  East,  English 
vessels  were  ready  to  lie  in  wait  for  them  and  take  posses- 
sion of  their  riches.  In  our  day  this  would  be  piracy  ;  but 
at  that  time  there  were  no  laws  applying  to  the  sea,  and  it 
was  thought  a  very  brave  deed  to  seize  a  ship  belonging 
to  a  foreign  country  and  bring  home  her  cargo. 

89 


Discoverers  and  Explorers 


One  of  the  most  daring  men  at  the  court   of   Queen 
Elizabeth  was  Francis  Drake.     So  eager  was  he  to  earn 
wealth  and  fame  for  England  and  for  himself,  and  at  the 
same  time  humble  the  power  of  Spain,  that  he  determined 
to  sail  anywhere  that  Spanish  ships 
could  go  and  to  seize  their  treasures 
of  gold  and  silver  for  his  country. 
On  one  of  his  early  voyages  he 
visited  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama, for  the  purpose  of  cap- 
turing Spanish  treasures  that 
were    being    carried    across 
from  the  Pacific  shore  to  the 
Gulf.      While    passing   over 
the  mountain  ridge  that  lies 
between  the  two  great  waters, 
he  climbed  a  tall  tree  which 
stood  on  the  summit.      He 

was  delighted  by  the  scene  before  him.  To  the  west  he 
looked  down  upon  the  Pacific,  that  great  body  of  water  of 
which  he  had  heard  but  which  no  Englishman  before  him 
had  ever  seen.  So  carried  away  was  he  at  the  sight,  that 
he  knelt  down  and  prayed  that  he  might  some  day  sail  an 
English  ship  upon  the  waters  of  that  mighty  ocean  where 
hitherto  only  Spanish  vessels  had  sailed.  It  was  not  long 
before  his  desire  was  gratified. 

In  1577  he  left  England  with  five  vessels,  sailing  to  the 
west ;  nearly  three  years  later  he  returned  with  one  ship, 
but  he  came  from  the  east.  He  had  sailed  around  the 
world,  the  first  Englishman  to  make  the  wonderful  voy- 


Sir  Francis  Drake 


The  English  in  the  North  Pacific  91 

age.  The  account  of  his  adventures  reads  like  pages  from 
a  story  book,  but  only  a  few  of  them  can  be  recounted 
here. 

From  the  first,  he  and  his  men  were  on  the  lookout  for 
Spanish  ships  to  plunder.  Some  small  ones  were  taken 
when  only  a  short  distance  out  from  England,  and  some 
Spanish  galleons  were  seen  along  the  coast  of  Brazil,  but 
Drake  hurried  on  toward  the  Pacific :  there  the  treasure 
ships  would  be  more  abundant,  and  the  Spanish  would 
not  be  on  their  guard  against  English  privateers  as  on 
the  Atlantic.  The  passage  through  the  Strait  of  Ma- 
gellan was  very  stormy,  and  Drake's  small  ships  suffered 
greatly.  While  still  on  the  Atlantic  two  of  his  five  ves- 
sels had  been  sent  back  to  England.  While  the  fleet  was 
passing  through  the  straits  another  ship  abandoned  the 
enterprise  and  sailed  for  home ;  for  the  men  were  already 
tired  of  the  voyage,  and  eager  to  escape  the  perils  that 
were  before  them.  The  remaining  two  vessels  became 
separated,  and  one  of  them  was  never  seen  again.  Only 
one  ship,  therefore,  survived  to  sail  triumphantly  into  the 
Pacific,  and  that  was  the  ship  which  carried  Drake  him- 
self. This  vessel  had  been  known  at  first  as  the  Pelican, 
but  after  passing  the  Strait  of  Magellan  she  was  called 
the  Golden  Hind. 

Sailing  northward  along  the  coast  of  Chile,  Drake  cap- 
tured many  Spanish  treasure  ships.  He  boarded  one  as 
she  lay  at  anchor,  nearly  all  her  men  having  gone  ashore. 
He  secured  a  great  quantity  of  gold  in  bars  "  shaped  like 
brickbats,"  says  the  old  chronicler  who  tells  about  it ;  and 
"so  much  silver  as  did  ballast  the  Golden  Hind."  After 


Discoverers  and  Explorers 


the  treasure  had  been  put  on  board  of  Drake's  vessel,  the 
galleon  was  set  adrift  to  go  wherever  she  might  be  taken 
by  winds  and  waves.  In  one  place,  where  Drake  landed 
for  water,  his  men  found  a  Spaniard  asleep  on  the  shore, 


while  near  him 
of  silver,  worth 
money.  As 


were  lying  thirteen  large  bars 
four  thousand  ducats  in  Spanish 
the  old  chronicler  says,  "  We 


took  the  silver  and  left 
the  man." 

Drake  captured  so 
many  Spanish  vessels, 
whose  loads  he  light- 
ened while  he  made 
his  own  heavy,  that 
he  at  last  began  to 
think  of  returning 
to  England.  It  was 
not  safe  to  go  back 
through  the  Strait 
of  Magellan ;  the 
Spaniards  were  watching  for  him  there,  and  would  have 
little  mercy  should  they  capture  him.  Besides,  he  remem- 
bered how  the  storms  raged  in  the  straits,  and  he  did  not 
like  to  take  the  risk  of  losing  his  one  little  vessel,  heavily 
loaded  as  she  was  with  prizes  from  the  Spaniards. 

Drake  knew  of  the  many  efforts  which  had  been  made 
to  find  a  northern  passage  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific, 
and  he  determined  to  see  if  he  could  discover  the  straits 
from  the  Pacific  side.  He  therefore  sailed  still  farther 
north,  past  the  coasts  of  Mexico  and  California.  Finally 


The  sleeping  Spaniard 


The  English  in  the  North  Pacific  93 

he  reached  just  about  the  same  latitude  visited  by  Cabrillo's 
pilot  in  1543.  There  the  Golden  Hind  met  bad  weather, 
and  the  men  on  board  were  "grievously  pinched"  with 
cold.  Drake  had  not  found  the  hoped-for  strait,  but  the 
storms  with  snow  and  ice  warned  him  that  he  must  give 
up  liis  search.  He  caused  the  ship's  course  to  be  changed, 
and  returned  toward  the  south. 

The  Golden  Hind  needed  repairs,  and  somewhere  near 
San  Francisco,  Drake  entered  a  small  bay,  dropped  an- 
chor, and  stayed  long  enough  to  rest  his  men  and  to 
make  his  ship  ready  for  the  long  voyage  home.  Drake 
believed  that,  difficult  as  it  might  be,  the  safest  way  to 
return  to  England  was  to  take  the  Spanish  route  west 
across  the  Pacific  to  the  Philippines  and  the  East  Indies, 
and  thence  to  follow  the  Portuguese  vessels  around  Africa 
into  the  Atlantic. 

Drake  was  well  received  by  the  Indians  of  the  coast. 
They  crowded  around  the  crew,  went  on  board  the  ship, 
and  made  long  speeches  in  Indian  to  which  Drake  re- 
sponded in  English.  One  day  they  put  on  Drake  a  head- 
dress of  feathers,  and  tried  to  show  him  that  they  would 
consider  him  one  of  their  chiefs.  The  Englishmen,  how- 
ever, thought  that  the  feathers  were  a  crown,  and  that 
this  was  the  Indian  way  of  giving  up  all  right  to  their 
country ;  they  were  much  pleased  to  accept  the  gift,  and 
later  made  this  act  of  the  natives  one  of  their  claims  to 
California  and  Oregon. 

As  the  Indians  became  better  acquainted  with  the  white 
people  they  brought  in  all  their  lame  and  sick  to  be  healed 
by  their  visitors.  Going  to  their  chests,  the  English 


94  Discoverers  arid  Explorers 

brought  out  medicines  and  plasters,  and  doctored  all  the 
aches  and  pains  as  well  as  they  knew  how.  This  treat- 
ment was  so  pleasing  to  the  Indians  that  they  not  only 
came  back  for  more  of  it  themselves,  but  brought  their 
friends  from  other  tribes  with  them,  and  the  English  were 
kept  busy  using  their  simple  remedies. 

This  visit  of  Drake's  to  the  coast  of  California  had  some 
very  important  results.  Drake  believed  himself  to  be  the 
first  white  man  to  discover  that  part  of  the  world.  In  fact, 
his  chronicler  said :  "  It  seemeth  that  the  Spaniards  hith- 
erto had  never  been  in  this  part  of  the  country,  neither 
did  ever  discover  the  land  by  many  degrees  to  the  south- 
ward of  this  place."  So  Drake  claimed  all  the  region  for 
England.  Neither  Spanish  nor  English,  however,  had 
discovered  the  most  extensive  bay  in  all  the  world, 
although  it  lay  so  near  them.  Cabrillo  had  approached 
to  within  two  days'  sail  of  the  Golden  Gate,  and  the 
next  year  his  pilot  passed  close  by  the  narrow  entrance. 
Drake  was  anchored  for  thirty-six  days  within  a  day's 
travel  of  the  great  bay.  But  the  hills  kept  their  secret 
well  for  two  hundred  years  more. 

Drake  could  leave  no  men  behind  him  to  hold  the  land 

• 

he  claimed,  even  had  such  a  course  seemed  necessary. 
He  therefore  set  up  a  sign  that  the  region  belonged  to 
England.  This  was  "a  fair,  great  post,"  with  a  brass 
plate  nailed -upon  it.  On  this  plate  were  engraved  the 
queen's  name,  the  day  and  year  of  Drake's  arrival,  and 
also  a  statement  that  the  natives  had  of  their  own  free 
will  given  their  lands  and  themselves  into  "  her  Majesty's 
hands."  For  lack  of  a  better  portrait  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 


The  EnglisJi  in  the  North  Pacific  95 

a  sixpence  of  the  money  of  her  reign,  having  on  it  the 
royal  picture  and  arms,  was  placed  under  the  plate. 
Drake's  name  was  also  written  on  this  monument,  and,  in 
memory  of  Albion,  as  England  is  often  called,  the  country 
was  named  New  Albion. 

Everything  which  the  roving  freebooter  could  devise  to 
hold  the  land  for  his  monarch  had  now  been  done,  and 
Drake  began  to  make  final  preparations  for  his  departure. 
The  Golden  Hind  was  made  ready  to  sail.  The  cargo, 
which  had  been  carefully  guarded  on  shore  while  the 
ship  was  being  overhauled,  was  reloaded.  An  abundance 
of  fresh  water  and  all  the  food  that  could  be  obtained 
were  taken  on  board. 

The  English  had  spent  five  weeks  in  the  company  of 
the  Indians,  and  now  that  they  were  about  to  leave,  the 
poor  savages  could  hardly  understand  that  these  white 
men,  who  had  seemed  like  gods  to  them,  were  really 
going  away.  They  gave  up  all  the  gladness,  the  games, 
the  jollity,  with  which  they  had  tried  to  amuse  their 
guests,  and  began  to  weep  and  groan,  and  tear  the  flesh 
with  their  finger  nails  until  blood  ran.  The  sailors  find- 
ing that  nothing  would  pacify  their  dark-skinned  friends, 
finally  began  to  sing  psalms  and  to  pray  with  them.  The 
Indians  had  often  listened  to  the  sailors  singing,  and 
on  all  their  visits  had  begged  for  music ;  so  now  they 
forgot  their  own  way  of  saying  good-by,  and  tried  to 
imitate  the  English,  lifting  their  hands  and  eyes  to  the 
skies  just  as  they  saw  the  white  men  doing. 

When  the  ship  finally  began  to  move  slowly  out  of 
the  little  bay,  the  Indians  were  in  great  distress.  They 


96  Discoverers  and  Explorers 

ran  along  the  coast  to  keep  the  vessel  in  sight,  following  the 
shores  of  the  bay  to  the  ocean  ;  at  last  they  went  to  the 
top  of  a  hill  that  they  might  watch  the  white  sails  far 
out  at  sea.  As  night  came  on,  the  sorrowful  Indians  built 
a  great  fire  on  the  shore,  whose  red  light  Drake  and  his 
sailors  could  see  long  after  they  had  lost  sight  of  land. 

Interesting  as  is  the  account,  it  is  not  a  part  of  our 
purpose  to  tell  how  Drake  sailed  on  around  the  world, 
When  the  bold  navigator  reached  England  after  nearly 
three  years'  absence,  he  was  received  with  the  greatest 
joy.  Never  before  had  so  wonderful  a  voyage  been  made 
by  an  English  vessel;  never  had  one  come  home  so 
loaded  with  Spanish  treasures. 

Drake  was  the  hero  of  the  day.  So  pleased  was  Queen 
Elizabeth,  that  she  honored  him  in  many  ways.  She  took 
dinner  on  board  of  the  Golden  Hind ;  and  on  the  deck  she 
caused  plain  Francis  Drake  to  become  Sir  Francis  Drake, 
dubbing  him  a  knight  with  his  own  sword.  The  queen 
even  mightily  offended  the  Spanish  minister  at  her  court 
by  wearing  in  her  royal  hair  some  of  the  splendid  jewels 
taken  from  the  treasure  ships  of  Spain. 

QUESTIONS. — What  did  England  think  about  the  division  of  the 
world  between  Spain  and  Portugal?  How  did  she  show  this  opinion? 
What  was  Drake's  object  when  he  started  out  from  England?  What 
two  great  and  unexpected  results  were  there  from  his  trip?  What  dis- 
appointment did  he  meet  in  the  North  Pacific?  Why  was  it  a  serious 
one  for  Drake?  What  change  did  it  make  necessary  in  his  plans?  What 
source  for  a  quarrel  between  Spain  and  England  in  Drake's  voyage? 
Had  the  English  made  any  settlement  on  the  Atlantic  coast  at  this  time? 


III.     THE    MISSIONS    OF   ALTA 
CALIFORNIA 

CHAPTER   X 
THE   DESIRE   OF   A   YOUTH 

IN  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  not  far  from  the  hills  of 
Spain,  is  a  small  island,  called  Majorca.  On  this  island, 
in  1713,  almost  two  hundred  years  ago,  was  born  a  baby 
boy,  whose  life  is  interesting  to  all  Californians.  His 
father  and  mother  called  him  Michael,  but  here  in  the 
New  World  he  is  known  only  as  Father  Junipero  Serra.1 

The  parents  of  Michael  were  poor,  but  good  and  honest. 
They  were  very  proud  of  their  son,  and  wanted  him  to 
become  an  educated  man.  In  those  days  it  cost  a  great 
deal  of  money  to  send  a  boy  to  school,  and  it  was  not  often 
that  poor  people  could  give  their  children  an  education; 
but  Michael's  parents  were  determined.  They  went  to  the 
priests  and  asked  their  help.  As  these  good  men  knew 
the  parents  well,  they  said  that  the  child  might  stay  with 
them  and  attend  their  school  without  pay.  They  never 
had  reason  to  regret  their  kindness. 

Michael  proved  to  be  a  remarkable  scholar  for  those 
days.  He  was  so  fond  of  reading  that  he  was  seldom 

1  Junipero  Serra  (Hoo  ne'pa-ro  Sar'ra). 

SPAN.   IN   SOUTHWEST — 7  97 


98 


The  Missions  of  Alta  California 


without  a  book  in  his  hands.  In  this  way  he  learned 
about  some  of  the  great  men  of  the  church  who  had  gone 
into  distant,  foreign  lands  as  missionaries.  He  pictured 
their  sufferings  as  the  cruel  savages  tortured  them  and 

put  them  to  death.     But  he 
thought  also  of  the  brighter 
^•~~  side.       He    read    that    some- 

times these  missionaries  made 
friends  of  the  savages,  telling 
them  the  story  of  Christ,  and 
showing  them  a  better  way 
to  live  than  any  they  had  be- 
fore known.  Young  Michael 
determined  to  be  a  missionary. 
He  never  gave  up  this  project, 
although  it  could  not  be  car- 
ried out  until  long  after  he  had 
become  a  priest,  and  had  taken 
the  name  of  Father  Serra. 

As  the  years  passed,  Father 
Serra  talked  sometimes  about 
his  plans  with  two  friends 
who  loved  him  dearly.  These 

were  the  priests,  Father  Crespi  and  Father  Palou,  who 
became  the  devoted  companions  of  his  later  years.  One 
day,  when  Father  Serra  was  sitting  alone  in  the  little  cell 
which  was  the  only  room  he  could  call  his  own,  Father 
Palou  came  in.  As  the  two  men  talked  together,  Father 
Palou  said  that  he,  too,  had  decided  to  go  as  a  missionary 
to  the  Indians  of  America.  Father  Serra  was  delighted. 


The  youth  of  Father  Serra 


The  Desire  of  a  Youth  99 

"Now,"  he  cried,  "we  can  go.  For  a  long  time  the 
only  obstacle  to  my  going  has  been  the  want  of  a  compan- 
ion. Thank  God!  the  obstacle  is  removed."  In  a  few 
months  the  two  friends  sailed  for  Mexico,  where  mission- 
aries were  already  at  work  among  the  Indians. 

When  the  vessel  bearing,  the  two  priests  reached  the 
end  of  its  voyage,  it  anchored  at  Vera  Cruz,  many  days' 
journey  from  the  city  of  Mexico.  The  passengers  ex- 
pected to  find  there  wagons  and  guides  to  take  them 
across  the  country,  but  for  some  reason  none  could  be 
had.  Rather  than  wait  weeks,  perhaps,  for  means  of 
transportation,  Father  Serra  decided  to  walk  the  hundred 
leagues  to  Mexico.  For  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  he  must  go 
alone,  for  Father  Palou  was  too  ill  to  accompany  him,  and 
no  one  else  wanted  to  attempt  such  a  trip ;  but  at  last  one 
man  said  he  was  ready  to  try  to  walk  to  the  city  of  Mexico. 

The  two  started  without  a  guide,  intending  to  beg  their 
food  on  the  way,  for  they  could  not  burden  themselves 
with  baggage  of  any  kind.  Even  when  they  were  suffer- 
ing from  hunger,  and  did  not  know  where  to  sleep  for  the 
night,  Father  Serra  thotight  first  of  others  and  last  of  him- 
self. One  day,  when  they  had  just  one  loaf  of  bread,  they 
met  some  poor  people  who  had  none,  and  were  starving. 
Seeing  that  they  were  worse  off  than  himself,  Father 
Serra  gave  them  the  loaf  and  trusted  God  for  another.  He 
had  not  made  a  mistake ;  a  little  farther  on  they  were  met 
by  a  kind-hearted  man  who  gave  them  something  to  eat. 

On  this  journey  Father  Serra  wounded  his  leg.  The 
wound  would  not  heal,  and  until  his  death,  thirty-five 
years  later,  he  suffered  greatly  from  it.  In  spite  of  the 


ioo  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

pain  thus  caused,  he  walked  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  city  of 
Mexico  as  quickly  as  a  well  man  could  have  gone. 

At  last  Father  Serra  was  in  Mexico,  among  the  Indians 
whom  he  had  longed  to  teach.  Here  was  the  life  work 
which  he  had  dreamed  of  sinceJDoyhood.  Full  of  enthusi- 
asm and  love  he  entered  upon  it,  and  for  eighteen  years 
he  labored  unceasingly  among  the  natives  in  the  provinces 
of  New  Spain.  Then  a  great  change  came  to  his  life. 
He  was  sent  to  take  charge  of  the  missions  that  were 
to  be  founded  in  Alta  California. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  part  of  a  missionary's  life  attracted  Father 
Serra  as  a  boy  ?  What  reasons  may  he  have  had  for  walking  from 
Vera  Cruz  to  the  city  of  Mexico  ?  Can  you  mention  five  traits  of 
character  already  shown  by  this  great  man  ? 


CHAPTER   XI 
EXPEDITIONS   INTO   ALTA  CALIFORNIA 

IT  was  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  after  Vis- 
caino's  last  voyage,  before  the  Spanish  saw  fit  to  learn 
more  about  the  great  region  which  they  claimed  along 
the  Pacific  coast.  Then  the  former  reasons  for  colonizing 
that  region  were  urged  with  even  greater  force  than  before. 
Spanish  sailors  returning  from  the  long  voyage  across  the 
Pacific  still  suffered  and  died  from  scurvy  as  in  the  days 
of  Viscaino,  and  there  was  much  danger  that  foreign 
nations  would  take  possession  of  the  coast.  So  again  the 
thoughts  of  Spain  began  to  turn  toward  California.  The 
king  ordered  that  an  expedition  should  rediscover  the  bay 
of  Monterey  and  make  there  a  settlement. 

When  the  priests  of  Mexico  learned  that  soldiers  were 
to  be  sent  to  establish  a  settlement  and  military  stations 
on  the  coast,  they  determined  to  send  some  of  their 
number  with  them.  With  all  the  zeal  of  missionaries 
they  longed  to  go  to  the  thousands  of  Indians  in  Upper 
California.  They  wanted  to  teach  the  savages  a  better 
way  of  living ;  to  cure  them  of  their  diseases ;  to  bring 
them  into  the  missions;  and  to  hold  the  great  country 
for  the  church  and  for  Spain.  They  urged  that  it  would 
not  be  difficult  to  found  missions,  for  animals  of  all  kinds 

IOI 


IO2  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

could  be  sent  from  Mexico,  and,  for  a  while  at  least,  until 
gardens,  orchards,  and  flocks  of  animals  could  be  started 
in  the  new  places,  supplies  could  be  sent  to  California  by 
ship. 

The  king  was  pleased  that  the  priests  should  go.  He 
knew  that  if  missions  were  built,  and  the  Indians  learned 
to  love  and  obey  the  priests,  it  would  be  easier  to  hold  the 
country  in  subjection  than  if  an  army  of  soldiers  went  and 
established  military  rule.  As  soon  as  the  priests  learned 
the  king's  decision,  they  began  to  ask  themselves  who  was 
to  be  their  leader  in  the  new  provinces.  It  was  the  gen- 
eral opinion  that  Father  Serra  was  the  best  man  for  the 
position,  for  he  had  proved  himself  one  of  the  strongest 
workers  in  Mexico.  So  he  was  made  president  of  all 
the  missions  to  be  built  in  Alta  California,  and  was  put 
in  charge  of  all  the  work  there.  The  dream  of  the  youth 
at  Majorca  was  coming  to  a  glorious  fulfillment.  He  was 
so  happy  that  he  could  not  work  fast  enough  in  collecting 
the  supplies  that  would  be  necessary  in  the  new  country. 

The  Spanish  governor  of  Mexico  at  that  time  was 
Galvez,1  a  man  whose  name  deserves  to  be  remembered 
in  connection  with  the  California  missions.  He  was  as 
eager  as  Father  Serra  to  push  forward  rapidly  their 
founding,  and  he  was  always  a  helpful  friend  to  them 
and  to  their  worthy  president.  Galvez  also  knew  that 
it  would  be  a  grand  thing  for  Spain  to  hold  all  the  land 
then  known  as  Alta,  or  Upper,  California ;  and,  as  other 
nations  were  trying  to  get  possession  of  the  country, 
Spain  must  not  be  slow  in  carrying  out  her  plans. 

1  Galvez  (Gal-veth'). 


Expeditions  into  Alta  California  103 

Galvez  decided  to  send  two  expeditions,  one  by  land  and 
one  by  water.  But  as  the  sea  expedition  was  to  go  in 
three  vessels,  and  the  one  by  land  was  divided  into  two 
companies,  he  was  really  fitting  out  five  expeditions. 

There  was  much  to  be  done,  and  neither  Galvez  nor 
Father  Serra  hesitated  to  put  their  hands  to  the  pack- 
ing and  other  hard  work,  although  one  was  the  governor 
of  Mexico,  and  the  other  was  the  president  of  the  missions 
of  California.  The  ships  had  to  be  entirely  overhauled. 
They  had  to  be  repainted  and  the  bottoms  covered  with 
pitch.  Then  they  had  to  be  loaded.  There  were  guns  for 
the  forts,  tools  for  working  the  land,  seeds  for  the  gar- 
dens and  fields,  provisions  and  fresh  water  for  the  voyage, 
bells  and  ornaments  for  the  churches.  There  were  also 
supplies  of  food  for  the  soldiers  and  priests  who  were 
to  stay  in  California,  for  it  would  be  many  months  before 
they  could  raise  enough  to  feed  their  whole  company. 
With  the  land  expeditions  were  to  go  the  cattle,  horses, 
sheep,  and  mules.  These  were  to  be  collected  from  the 
missions  in  Lower  California  as  the  expeditions  marched 
northward,  and  were  to  be  driven  up  the  peninsula  to 
San  Diego,  where  the  first  mission  was  to  be  founded. 

Father  Crespi  went  with  the  first  land  expedition. 
Father  Serra  was  expected  to  join  the  second,  but  he  could 
not  start  with  it.  He  was  worn  out  with  the  hard  work  of 
preparation;  the  wound  in  his  leg  troubled  him  ;  he  was  too 
ill  to  travel.  The  company,  therefore,  under  Caspar  de 
Portola,  the  first  governor  of  California,  left  reluctantly 
without  him,  planning  to  move  slowly  until  he  could  over- 
take them.  Father  Palou  was  to  remain  at  one  of  the 


IO4  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

missions  of  Lower  California,  where  he  had  long  lived ;  but 
when  he  learned  of  Father  Serra's  illness,  he  asked  to  go 
to  California  in  his  place.  Feeling  that  he  would  soon  be 
ready  to  start,  Father  Serra  refused  the  offer  of  his  friend. 

It  was  three  weeks  after  the  expedition  started  from 
Loreto  before  Father  Serra  was  strong  enough  to  mount 
his  mule  and  follow  up  the  peninsula.  His  way  led  him 
past  the  mission  where  Father  Palou  labored,  and  there  he 
stopped  several  days  for  the  rest  he  so  sorely  needed.  As 
Father  Palou  looked  into  the  pale  face  and  noticed  the 
worn  body  of  his  beloved  friend,  he  urged  still  more  vig- 
orously his  plan  of  going  himself  to  California;  he  feared 
that,  even  if  Father  Serra  survived  the  severe  journey  to 
San  Diego,  he  could  not  endure  the  still  more  trying  labors 
'  of  founding  missions.  Again  the  sick  man  refused,  grate- 
fully but  firmly.  He  was  ready  to  die,  he  said;  but  he 
could  not  stay  away  from  California  at  such  a  time. 

Father  Palou  knew  that  his  dear  old  friend  never  gave 
up,  but  he  urged  him  again  to  stay  at  least  for  a  time  in 
Mexico,  where  the  work  would  be  so  much  lighter  than  it 
could  possibly  be  in  a  new  country.  He  promised  to  go 
in  the  place  of  the  president,  and  to  return  just  so  soon  as 
Father  Serra  was  well  enough  to  take  the  work  in  Cali- 
fornia ;  he  begged  him  to  remain  quiet  until  he  was  better 
able  to  make  the  trip.  But  Father  Serra  had  set  his  heart 
on  ringing  the  bells  and  laying  the  foundation  of  the  first 
mission  in  California,  and  he  shook  his  head  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  Father  Palou. 

"  Let  us  speak  no  more  on  this  subject,"  said  he.  "  I 
have  placed  my  faith  in  God  and  trust  in  his  goodness  to 


Expeditions  into  Alt  a  California  105 

plant  the  standard  of  the  holy  cross  not  only  at  San  Diego, 
but  even  as  far  north  as  Monterey." 

It  was  useless  to  say  more.  Father  Palou  knew  that 
Father  Serra  would  take  no  thought  for  himself.  He 
would  hurry  on  after  the  company  ahead  of  him,  forget- 
ting his  pain,  forgetting  his  body  entirely.  Perhaps  he 
would  overtake  Governor  Portola;  perhaps  his  strength 
would  give  out,  and  he  would  die  on  the  way. 

After  less  than  a  week  with  the  friend  of  his  boyhood, 
Father  Serra  said  he  was  ready  to  start.  He  was  to  be 
accompanied  by  trusty  servants,  for  he  was  still  in  such 
great  pain  from  his  wounded  leg  that  he  could  not  mount 
his  mule  alone.  There  was  a  tender  farewell  between  the 
two  priests,  for  both  felt  that  this  might  be  their  last  meet- 
ing on  earth.  They  could  not  foresee  that  both  were  to  live 
more  than  fifteen  years  longer,  and  that  when  death  should 
claim  Father  Serra,  Father  Palou  would  be  at  his  bedside. 

The  company  had  stopped  to  wait  for  Father  Serra,  and 
very  glad  they  all  were  when  they  saw  him  come  into  their 
camp.  It  had  been  hard  traveling,  and  he  had  again 
tried  his  strength  too  far.  He  was  so  ill  that  he  could  not 
sit,  nor  stand,  nor  lie  down,  without  the  greatest  pain. 
His  foot  was  badly  swollen.  Everybody  thought  that  he 
must  soon  die,  and  urged  him  to  stay  in  Mexico.  But  the 
resolute  priest  had  gone  too  far  to  return. 

"  No,"  said  he,  firmly.  "  If  I  am  strong  enough  to  go 
back,  I  am  strong  enough  to  go  forward.  God  has 
brought  me  thus  far,  and  if  it  is  his  will,  I  shall  finally 
reach  San  Diego." 

Governor  Portola  then  commanded  that  a  litter  should 


io6 


The  Missions  of  Alia  California 


be  made  on  which  the  good  father  could  be  carried. 
Again  came  an  objection. 

"What  am  I,"  said  he,  "that  I  should  be  carried  by  my 
fellow-men  ?  Some  other  way  will  come  to  me." 

"  My  son,"  he  asked,  turning  to  one  of  the  mule  drivers, 
"can  you  find  some  remedy  for  my  sore  foot  ? " 


'  What  am  I  that  I  should  be  carried  by  my  fellow-men  ?  " 

The  driver  hesitated.  He  was  only  an  ignorant  man, 
the  driver  of  mules.  It  was  Father  Serra,  the  president  of 
all  the  missions  of  Upper  California,  who  was  asking  him 
for  help.  He  was  afraid  to  use  his  simple  medicines  on 
so  great  a  man. 

"What  remedy  have  I,  Father,  for  men  ?"  he  asked  at 
length.  "  I  am  not  a  surgeon,  only  a  mule  driver,  and  I 
can  cure  only  my  beasts." 


Expeditions  into  Alta  California  107 

"Well,  son,"  said  the  priest,  kindly,  "imagine  that  I  am 
one  of  the  animals,  and  that  this  is  one  of  their  wounds." 
Here  he  pointed  to  his  swollen  and  painful  leg.  "  Now 
apply  the  same  remedy." 

The  mule  driver  smiled,  touched  by  the  suffering  and 
the  gentleness  of  the  priest. 

"  I  will  do  so,  Father,  to  please  you,"  said  he. 

He  took  some  suet,  mixed  it  with  herbs,  made  of  it  a 
kind  of  plaster,  and  applied  it  to  the  sore.  The  result  was 
surprising  to  every  one.  In  the  morning  Father  Serra 
awoke  so  much  better  that  the  journey  was  resumed. 

The  expedition  moved  slowly.  There  were  no  roads, 
and  often  the  way  had  to  be  cleared  of  stones  and  cac- 
tus plants.  There  were  the  animals  to  drive,  and  pastur- 
age and  water  were  scarce.  Some  of  the  Indians  became 
sick,  some  deserted,  and  some  died.  Everybody  suffered 
in  crossing  the  sandy,  rocky,  cactus-grown  stretches  of 
country.  At  last,  on  the  first  of  July,  three  months  after 
Father  Serra  had  left  Loreto,  the  weary  company  saw  a 
sight  that  made  them  happy.  Down  below  them,  glisten- 
ing in  the  sunshine,  lay  a  beautiful  land-locked  bay.  At 
that  distance  its  calm  waters  seemed  without  a  ripple. 
Outside  the  narrow  peninsula  that  stretched  its  long  arm 
between  the  bay  and  the  sea  was  the  blue  ocean,  its  sur- 
face fretted  only  by  an  occasional  whitecap.  Still  farther 
across  the  ocean  toward  the  west,  almost  on  the  horizon 
line,  rose  the  Coronado  Islands. 

The  tired  men  gave  a  cry  of  delight  as  they  recognized 
San  Diego  Bay ;  and  as  the  slowly  moving  train  hurried 
its  pace  at  the  sight,  the  soldiers  fired  off  their  muskets. 


Of    TKl 

UNIVERSITY 


io8  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

For  a  few  moments  every  one  listened  in  silence.  Then 
came  answering  shots  from  the  tents  on  the  shore,  and  in 
a  few  seconds  still  others  from  the  two  ships  riding  at 
anchor  on  the  bay.  Volley  after  volley  followed,  as  the 
company  rushed  on  to  meet  waiting  friends.  Four  of  the 
five  expeditions  were  reunited,  and  the  men  laughed, 
talked,  and  embraced  each  other  in  their  joy  that  so  many 
were  at  last  safe  in  the  new  land.  Their  happiness,  how- 
ever, was  tempered  by  anxiety ;  the  third  ship,  long  over- 
due, had  not  yet  arrived.  It  was  well  that  they  did  not 
then  know  that  she  had  gone  down  somewhere  in  the 
ocean  and  that  every  one  on  board  had  perished. 

QUESTIONS.  — Why  did  the  priests  desire  to  go  to  California?  Why 
did  they  ask  the  king  for  permission?  Why  was  the  king  eager  that 
they  should  go?  Who  else  went  to  hold  the  land  for  the  king?  Why 
was  it  necessary  to  take  such  abundant  supplies? 

Why  was  Father  Serra  so  determined  not  to  stay  in  Mexico?  What 
kept  him  from  giving  up  under  difficulties? 


CHAPTER   XII 

FOUNDING  OF  SAN  DIEGO  MISSION 
July  1 6,  1769 

THE  expedition  by  sea  suffered  greatly.  There  were  so 
many  deaths  on  the  voyage  that  there  were  not  enough 
sailors  left  to  man  the  two  vessels  that  sailed  into  San 
Diego  harbor  just  before  the  coming  of  the  land  party. 
The  third  ship  had  not  yet  arrived;  and,  as  food  soon 
began  to  be  short,  the  San  Antonio  was  sent  back  to 
Mexico  for  more  supplies  and  for  sailors  to  take  the  place 
of  those  who  had  died.  Then  Father  Serra  and  Governor 
Portola  turned  their  attention  to  the  real  purpose  of  their 
trip,  —  the  rediscovery  of  Monterey  and  the  making  of  a 
settlement  on  the  shores  of  its  bay. 

The  expedition  was  to  have  been  made  by  boat ;  but  as 
the  San  Antonio  had  returned  to  Mexico,  and  it  was  not 
thought  wise  for  the  other  vessel,  the  San  Carlos,  to  leave 
San  Diego,  there  was  no  other  way  but  to  march  by  land 
up  the  coast.  Accordingly,  the  necessary  baggage  was 
loaded  on  mules,  and  the  expedition,  under  the  charge  of 
Governor  Portola  and  accompanied  by  Father  Crespi, 
started  for  Monterey. 

Preparations  were  begun  almost  immediately  for  the 
founding  of  the  mission  at  San  Diego.  It  was  the  middle 

109 


no  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

of  July.  Father  Serra  looked  around  on  his  small  com- 
pany. Of  the  forty  people  remaining  with  him,  eleven 
were  Lower  California  Indians,  /who  had  been  brought  as 
servants ;  several  were  soldiers,  sick,  and  in  the  pesthouse 
which  had  been  built  for  them.  In  the  valleys  and  foot- 
hills, were  the  savage  Indians  whom  he  had  come  to 
convert. 

In  spite  of  all  discouragements  and  dangers,  Father 
Serra's  heart  beat  with  joy.  The  letter  which  he  wrote 
to  Father  Palou  in  Lower  California  expressed  his  delight 
with  San  Diego.  He  wrote  of  the  valleys  with  their 
many  trees,  the  wild  grapevines,  and  the  roses,  "  as  sweet 
and  fair  as  those  of  Castile."  To  the  good  father  who  had 
just  come  from  the  barren  lower  peninsula,  and  whose 
heart  was  full  of  glowing  anticipations,  everything  seemed 
beautiful  and  promising. 

Father  Serra  determined  to  start  his  mission  immedi- 
ately. It  would  have  taken  a  long  while  to  build  a 
church,  but  one  was  not  necessary  for  a  beginning.  July 
1 6,  1769,  the  bells  were  swung  in  a  tree,  and  a  great 
wooden  cross  was  raised.  Around  it  were  grouped  the 
men  of  the  little  settlement ;  in  the  background,  watching 
everything,  were  the  Indians.  Their  dusky,  stolid  faces 
probably  expressed  little  of  the  interest,  surprise,  and 
curiosity  which  they  must  have  felt. 

Father  Serra  raised  his  hands  toward  the  blue  heav- 
ens, and  with  that  earnest  voice  of  his  spoke.  He  asked 
God  to  bless  the  rude  cross  which  had  just  been  raised; 
to  bless  the  mission  soon  to  be  built.  He  prayed  for  help 
to  put  to  flight  all  the  hosts  of  evil  in  the  barbarous  land, 


Founding  of  San  Diego  Mission 


ill 


The  first  service  at  San  Diego 

and  to  bring  into  the  church  the  Indians,  still  strangers  to 
Christ.  How  solemn  they  all  were !  How  Father  Serra's 
heart  swelled  with  hope  and  piety !  How  curious  the 
Indians  must  have  been  as  they  lurked  in  the  distance, 
watching  this  invasion  of  their  home ! 

Then  the  hard  work  began.  A  number  of  huts  were 
built.  One  of  them  was  to  be  used  as  a  church,  the  rest 
were  to  be  lived  in  until  better  buildings  could  be  pro- 
vided. Weeks  passed  in  this  task,  and  the  mission  still 
lacked  one  thing,  the  most  necessary  of  all.  There  were 
no  converts.  In  Mexico  and  in  the  other  missions 
founded  later  in  California,  Indians  soon  came  into  the 
mission  life,  but  in  San  Diego  many  months  passed  before 
a  single  scholar  was  enrolled. 

Although   the  curious,  greedy  natives  would   not   live 


112  The  Missions  of  Alta   California 

at  the  mission,  they  visited  it  in  large  numbers,  eager  for 
the  presents  which  the  Spaniards  gave  them  as  long  as 
they  had  anything  to  give  away.  They  liked  the  beads 
and  ornaments;  they  were  always  begging  for  cloth  and 
pieces  of  rope,  but  they  would  not  eat  the  white  man's 
food.  They  knew  that  many  sailors  had  died,  and  per- 
haps they  thought  that  what  they  ate  was  poisonous.  For 
many  months  they  would  not  swallow  anything  given 
them  by  the  Spaniards.  Even  if  a  lump  of  sugar  were 
put  into  the  mouth  of  a  child,  he  was  made  to  spit  it  out 
It  was  really  fortunate  that  the  Indians  did  refuse  food, 
for  provisions  were  becoming  scarce.  It  was  the  long, 
dry  summer  season,  when  but  few  things  grow  in  San 
Diego,  and  although  the  weeks  stretched  out  into  months, 
the  ship  San  Antonio  did  not  return  with  the  expected 
supplies  from  Mexico. 

The  liking  of  the  Indians  for  cloth  and  rope  caused 
annoyance  and  even  trouble.  When  the  Spaniards  had 
no  more  to  give  away,  the  savages  eagerly  watched  their 
chance  and  stole  anything  of  the  kind  they  could  lay  their 
hands  on.  They  even  tried  to  steal  from  the  San  Carlos, 
which  was  still  lying  in  the  harbor.  On  their  rude  tule 
rafts  they  went  up  to  the  ship,  so  huge  and  strange  in 
their  eyes ;  they  clambered  up  its  sides,  and  started  to 
carry  off  the  ropes  and  to  cut  out  large  pieces  of  the  sails. 
At  last,  to  keep  the  ship  from  being  carried  off  piecemeal, 
two  of  the  eight  sailors  who  were  still  alive  had  to  sleep 
on  board  as  a  guard. 

So  bold  had  the  Indians  become  that  they  laughed  at 
the  threats  and  promises  of  the  Spaniards.  At  first  the 


Fotmding  of  San  Diego  Mission  113 

report  of  the  firearms  had  frightened  them  into  running 
away;  but  Father  Serra  had  said  that  the  sailors  were 
not  to  kill  any  Indian,  and  as  the  noise  of  the  discharge 
did  no  harm,  the  savages  laughed  at  it  and  were  amused. 
Matters  went  from  bad  to  worse.  Knowing  how  many 
white  people  had  died,  and  how  few  were  left,  the  Indians 
lost  all  fear  of  either  their  number  or  their  power. 

Angry  that  so  few  presents  were  given  them,  and  no 
longer  afraid  of  the  Spanish  guns,  the  Indians  planned 
to  attack  the  white  men.  August  15,  1769,  the  Indians, 
seeing  that  some  of  the  men  were  away  on  the  San  Carlos, 
armed  themselves  with  war  clubs  and  bows  and  arrows 
and  broke  into  the  mission.  Their  first  act  was  to  tear 
the  sheets  off  the  beds  in  the  hospital,  where  four  soldiers 
were  lying  sick.  These  men,  weak  as  they  were,  threw  on 
their  armor,  seized  their  guns,  and  hurried  to  the  defense 
of  the  little  village.  The  blacksmith  and  the  carpenter  had 
no  armor,  but  they,  too,  rushed  out  against  the  Indians, 
the  former  crying  as  he  ran,  "  Long  life  to  the  faith  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  death  to  the  dogs,  its  enemies  !  " 

Father  Serra  and  a  second  priest,  Father  Viscaino,  re- 
mained in  the  hut  used  as  a  chapel.  As  they  were  priests 
they  did  not  fight,  but  spent  their  time  in  praying  for  the 
safety  of  their  friends  and  defenders.  Father  Viscaino 
grew  anxious  about  the  battle  raging  outside,  and  no 
wonder.  At  last,  in  his  curiosity  and  fear,  he  could  wait 
no  longer  to  know  how  matters  stood.  Cautiously  he 
raised  the  mat  which  did  service  for  a  door,  and  peered 
out.  Quick  as  a  thought,  as  if  an  Indian  had  been  wait- 
ing for  this  very  chance,  an  arrow  flew  toward  him.  It 

SPAN.    IN    SOUTHWEST  —  8 


114  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

struck  his  hand,  making  an  ugly  although  not  a  dangerous 
wound.  Dropping  the  mat  door  more  quickly  than  he 
had  raised  it,  the  father  went  back  to  his  prayers,  and 
gave  no  more  attention  to  the  fighting  outside. 

Meanwhile,  the  four  soldiers,  the  carpenter,  the  black- 
smith, and  two  or  three  Indians  from  Lower  California 
were  defending  the  place  desperately.  At  first  the  arrows 
of  the  Indians  did  little  damage.  Then  one  of  the  ser- 
vants was  shot,  and  rushed  into  the  hut,  to  die  at  Father 
Serra's  feet.  The  blacksmith  and  one  of  the  soldiers 
were  wounded ;  the  priest's  hand  pained  him  seriously. 
But  at  last  the  Spanish  firearms  conquered.  The  Indians 
ran  away,  carrying  their  dead  and  wounded,  and  in  a  few 
moments  all  had  disappeared. 

It  is  interesting  to  learn  what  became  of  the  wounded 
among  the  Indians.  A  few  days  after  the  attack  they 
were  brought  to  the  mission  to  have  their  wounds  treated. 
The  savages  had  already  learned  that  the  fathers  were 
kind  and  forgiving.  A  good  beginning  had  been  made 
for  the  great  work  that  was  to  follow. 

Not  long  after  the  attack  on  the  mission  Father  Serra 
again  had  hopes  of  converts.  He  had  been  wanting  to 
keep  some  of  the  Indian  children  at  the  mission,  for  he 
knew  that  they  would  learn  faster  than  the  older  people, 
and  would  like  better  to  stay  with  the  white  men.  One 
Indian  boy  had  been  persuaded  to  remain  with  the 
Spaniards.  He  had  been  interested  in  watching  their 
ways,  and  he  had  learned  a  little  of  the  Spanish  language. 
He  could  tell  the  suspicious  natives  what  the  fathers 
meant  when  they  tried  to  talk  to  their  savage  visitors. 


Founding  of  San  Diego  Mission  1 1 5 

He  explained  to  the  Indians  that  Father  Serra  wanted  a 
baby  boy  to  keep  at  the  mission.  As  he  grew  up  he 
should  be  dressed  like  the  white  people,  who  would  think 
of  him  as  their  brother ;  he  should  be  taught  the  wisdom 
of  the  Spaniards,  and  be  made  a  Christian.  The  Indians 
talked  about  it  among  themselves,  and  finally  decided  that 
the  priest  should  have  his  wish. 

One  day  an  Indian  came  to  the  mission  carrying  a  little 
boy.  It  was  a  strange  sight,  for  the  women  always  car- 
ried the  babies,  but  this  Indian  was  looking  very  serious. 
He  was  bringing  the  child  as  a  present  for  Father  Serra. 


"  He  seized  the  child,  and  ran  from  the  mission  " 

All  around  him  were  crowds  of  his  companions.  They 
were  very  quiet,  and  did  not  beg  nor  steal,  as  was  their 
custom. 

Father  Serra  was  happier  than  he  had  been  before  in 


Ii6  The  Missions  of  Alia  California 

San  Diego.  He  looked  around  to  see  what  he  could  do  to 
show  the  Indians  how  glad  he  was.  He  knew  what  they 
liked,  and  therefore  brought  out  a  piece  of  bright-colored 
cloth,  and  threw  it  over  the  baby.  Everything  went  well. 
All  the  Spaniards  were  grouped  around  to  see  the  first 
baptism  in  Upper  California.  Father  Serra  stood  clasping 
the  shell  in  which  was  the  holy  water.  His  hand  was 
raised  for  the  ceremony.  Suddenly  an  Indian,  frightened 
by  the  solemn  stillness  and  the  strange  ceremonies,  sprang 
forward.  He  seized  the  child,  still  wrapped  in  the  beauti- 
ful cloth,  and  ran  from  the  mission.  Away  went  all  the 
other  Indians,  leaving  Father  Serra  and  his  companions 
dumb  with  horror  and  amazement. 

The  soldiers  were  very  angry,  and  wanted  to  start  off 
hotly  after  the  Indians  and  punish  them  without  delay. 
Such  a  deed  was  an  insult  to  the  good  father  and  to  the 
church.  Father  Serra  would  not  listen  to  their  sugges- 
tions. He  had  common  sense  and  prudence.  He  knew 
that  to  punish  the  savages  would  be  to  drive  them  away 
from  the  settlement  and  make  enemies  of  them.  He 
knew  that  he  must  be  patient  if  he  would  bring  them  into 
the  mission  as  friends.  Besides,  he  realized  that  the 
Indians  were  afraid  of  magic,  and  he  understood  that  to 
them  the  ceremonies  and  the  water  for  baptism  might 
have  seemed  like  an  evil  charm  about  to  be  cast  over  the 
baby. 

So  Father  Serra  told  the  soldiers  that  they  must  not 
follow  the  Indians,  but  must  wait  until  their  savage  neigh- 
bors could  be  won  by  kindness  and  their  friendship  se- 
cured. Very  unwillingly  they  obeyed.  The  good  priest 


Founding  of  San  Diego  Mission  1 1 7 

himself  was  so  disappointed  that  the  tears  came  into  his 
eyes.  Like  the  unselfish  man  that  he  was,  he  took  the 
blame  on  himself. 

"It  is  all  because  of  my  sins,"  said  he;  "if  I  were  a 
better  man,  this  would  not  have  happened." 

He  still  worked  on,  and  waited  for  his  Indian  converts. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  two  reasons  which  probably  would  not  exist 
to-day  may  be  given  for  the  sufferings  on  the  trip  by  sea  ?  Why  was 
founding  Monterey  the  important  object  of  the  expedition  ?  Why 
should  Father  Serra  have  stayed  in  San  Diego  ? 

How  could  the  priests  induce  the  Indians  to  visit  the  mission  ? 
What  unfortunate  result  followed  ?  Why  did  not  Father  Serra  wish 
the  soldiers  to  fire  on  the  Indians  ?  What  was  gained  with  the  Indians 
by  a  peaceful  policy  ?  When  was  this  result  shown  ?  Was  it  the  first 
result  ? 

What  part  of  the  Indian  nature  is  seen  in  the  carrying  off  of  the  child 
that  was  about  to  be  baptized  ?  What  traits  of  Father  Serra's  charac- 
ter were  shown  during  those  trying  days  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  SEARCH  FOR  MONTEREY  BAY 

WHEN  Governor  Portola  and  Father  Crespi  started  from 
San  Diego  to  find  Monterey  Bay,  they  had  in  mind  the 
description  of  that  place  written  a  century  and  a  half 
before  by  Viscaino  for  the  king  of  Spain.  Viscaino  had 
seen  the  bay  in  December  and  in  the  early  part  of  Janu- 
ary. The  rains  had  washed  from  the  trees  their  summer 
coats  of  dust,  leaving  them  beautiful  in  their  spring  foli- 
age. The  hillsides  were  green  with  grass  and  bright  with 
vast  stretches  of  brilliant  flowers.  A  clear  river  flowed  to 
the  sea,  and  streams  of  fresh  water  were  found  along  the 
shore.  But  the  early  California  spring,  during  which  Vis- 
caino had  seen  Monterey,  was  a  season  still  unknown  to 
the  two  explorers  of  1 769.  Accustomed  to  the  barrenness 
of  Lower  California,  they  saw,  it  is  true,  many  of  the 
beauties  of  the  new  country ;  but  it  was  October,  and  they 
could  not  imagine  the  transformation  which  the  autumn 
rains  would  cause.  Consequently  they  made  a  strange 
mistake.  They  went  directly  to  Monterey  Bay,  but  they 
did  not  recognize  it  as  the  place  for  which  they  were 
looking. 

The  long,  dry  California  summer  had  scorched  the  grass 
and  bright  flowers  of  which  Viscaino  had  written.  The 

118 


The  Search  for  Monterey  Bay  119 

hills  were  yellow  and  barren.  The  river,  instead  of  hav- 
ing an  abundant  supply  of  water,  had  shrunk  to  a  tiny 
stream  which  the  mission  animals  could  drink  dry.  There 
was  sand  everywhere :  long,  seemingly  endless  dunes  of 
it  fronted  the  sea,  and  dreary  reaches  of  its  gray  and 
whitish  grains  lay  in  the  valleys  between  the  yellow, 
rolling  hills.  To  the  weary  Spaniards  the  region  seemed 
like  a  desert,  instead  of  the  fertile  country  which  they  had 
expected  and  longed  to  find. 

Moreover  the  harbor  itself  baffled  them.  Viscaino,  sail- 
ing into  it  from  a  stormy  ocean,  had  recognized  in  its 
quieter  waters  a  harbor  of  safety.  Portola  and  Crespi, 
viewing  it  from  the  land,  and  comparing  it  perhaps  with 
the  landlocked  bay  of  San  Diego  just  left  behind  them, 
could  hardly  see  a  bay  in  the  open  expanse  of  water 
between  the  southern  coast  on  which  they  stood  and 
the  distant  headland  far  to  the  north.  They  could  not 
imagine  that  the  description  left  by  Viscaino  fitted  at  all 
the  scene  before  their  eyes. 

They  talked  the  matter  over  again  and  again.  Some  of 
the  men  thought  this  must  be  Monterey  ;  others  were  sure 
it  could  not  be  ;  Portola  and  Father  Crespi  were  among 
the  latter.  The  men  hunted  for  some  of  the  signs  given 
in  the  old  description,  but  could  not  find  any  that  satisfied 
them.  They  thought  that  the  bay  must  either  lie  still 
farther  to  the  north,  or  that  it  had  been  filled  up  with  sand 
during  the  long  years  which  had  passed  since  the  visit  of 
Visx:aino.  Governor  Portola  became  convinced  that  the 
whole  expedition  must  be  given  up  since  Monterey  Bay 
could  not  be  found.  Father  Crespi  was  too  disappointed 


I2O  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

for  words.  He  thought  that  Point  Pinos  looked  like  the 
headland  mentioned  by  the  earlier  explorers,  but  even  he 
did  not  believe  that  the  right  place  had  been  found. 

Before  returning  south  it  was  decided  to  continue  the 
search  a  little  farther  up  the  coast.  The  march  was  con- 
tinued, and  San  Francisco  Bay  was  really  visited ;  but,  not 
dreaming  of  the  importance  of  their  discovery,  the  Span- 
iards turned  back  to  the  smaller  harbor  which  they  could 
not  believe  was  Monterey.  At  last,  tired  and  discouraged, 
and  nearly  out  of  food  supplies,  they  gave  up  their  efforts, 
and  started  slowly  back  toward  San  Diego.  Food  was 
so  scarce  that  they  might  have  perished  on  the  way  had 
not  the  Indians  proved  friendly  and  furnished  them  with 
seeds,  acorns,  nuts,  even  wild  fowl  and  fish.  A  little  more 
than  six  months  after  starting  on  the  northern  journey 
the  expedition  came  within  sight  of  the  low  palisade  which 
protected  the  camp  and  mission  of  San  Diego. 

In  spite  of  the  pleasure  of  the  reunion,  how  sad  must 
have  been  the  day  of  the  arrival !  Neither  party  had  good 
news.  Father  Serra  could  tell  only  of  sickness,  of  the 
trouble  with  the  Indians,  and  of  the  difficulty  in  getting 
converts.  He  himself  was  sick  with  scurvy.  Father 
Crespi  told  of  the  long  and  fruitless  march  to  the  north. 
He  said  it  was  his  belief  that  Monterey  Bay  no  longer  ex- 
isted. He  told  of  Governor  Portola's  determination  to 
waste  no  more  lives  in  trying  to  settle  California. 

Father  Serra  listened  in  dismay.  He  heard  Father 
Crespi  and  the  soldiers  talk  of  the  bay  which  they  had 
found ;  of  the  point  covered  with  pines,  projecting  out 
into  the  ocean;  of  the  creek,  almost  dry  in  its  sandy 


The  Search  for  Monterey  Bay  121 

bed.  He  felt  sure  that  this  was  Viscaino's  bay  of  Monte- 
rey, and  Captain  Vila  of  the  San  Carlos  thought  so  too. 
Father  Crespi  and  Portola  said  that  it  could  not  be  or 
they  should  have  recognized  it. 

Portola's  discouragement  grew  upon  him.  The  San 
Antonio  had  not  yet  returned  from  Mexico  with  the  sup- 
plies which  were  to  keep  the  company  from  starving ;  and 
now  that  the  two  parties  were  together,  food  disappeared 
with  alarming  rapidity  in  San  Diego.  He  feared  that 
starvation  was  close  before  them.  Finally,  he  declared 
that  if  the  San  Antonio  did  not  come  by  the  2Oth  of 
March,  he  would  abandon  California  and  return  to  Mexico. 

Fathers  Serra  and  Crespi  listened  in  despair.  Give  up 
the  work  which  they  had  begun  !  Forget  the  hard  marches 
and  the  sufferings  !  Lose  the  results  of  what  they  had 
already  done  !  Abandon  the  few  Indians  who  were  begin- 
ning to  look  with  friendly  eyes  on  the  priests !  They 
could  not.  They  planned  to  stay  if  every  one  else  went 
away.  They  talked  with  Captain  Vila  of  the  San  Carlos 
until  he  promised  that,  if  the  others  went,  he  would  take 
the  two  priests  on  his  vessel  and  make  another  search  for 
Monterey. 

Will  the  San  Antonio  come  ?  Will  she  come  in  time  ? 
These  thoughts  never  left  the  minds  of  the  two  priests. 
The  i Qth  of  March  came,  and  no  vessel.  Then  the  two 
fathers  prayed  for  the  coming  of  the  ship.  They  wan- 
dered out  on  the  hills  overlooking  the  ocean.  They 
watched  every  part  of  the  horizon  line.  Hours  passed. 
Afternoon  came,  and  still  no  ship.  The  sun  was  sinking 
slowly  into  the  sea.  The  two  friends  were  watching  it  dis- 


122  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

appear,  when  suddenly  they  saw  a  sight  which  brought 
back  life  and  joy  to  each  heart.  There  on  the  horizon, 
far  away  in  the  distance,  was  a  sail.  It  must  be  the  San 
Antonio,  they  said  to  each  other ;  and  so  it  proved  to  be. 

When  the  ship  finally  came  to  anchor  in  the  harbor,  it 
was  found  that  she  brought  not  only  food  and  new  sup- 
plies of  all  kinds,  but  also  a  command  for  Portola,  that 
he  should  make  all  haste  in  founding  settlements  to  hold 
California  for  Spain.  All  thought  of  deserting  the  mis- 
sion was  swept  from  the  mind  of  the  governor.  Even 
Father  Serra  was  not  more  eager  than  he  to  start  north 
again  in  the  search  for  the  bay  that  the  first  expedition 
had  failed  to  find. 

Again  an  exploring  party  went  north.  Father  Serra 
sailed  on  the  vessel,  and  who  could  be  discouraged  when 
he  was  near?  There  was  no  doubt  this  time  about  the 
bay.  It  was  spring,  and  there  were  the  green  hills,  the 
pine  trees,  the  rippling  river,  the  deep  pools  of  clear 
water,  mentioned  in  the  earlier  description.  Like  Vis- 
caino,  Father  Serra  sailed  into  the  harbor,  and  he  recog- 
nized the  outline  more  easily  than  could  those  on  shore. 
The  men  hunted  along  the  beach,  and  Father  Serra  was 
sure  that  he  found  the  very  tree  described  by  Viscaino. 
He  could  not  be  mistaken.  It  was  a  large  -oak  whose 
wide-flung  branches  hung  down  over  the  water ;  and  when 
the  tide  came  creeping  in,  the  waves  just  swayed  the  ends 
of  its  sweeping  branches.  So  convinced  was  Father  Serra 
that  this  was  the  very  place  where  mass  had  been  said  in 
1602,  that  he,  also,  held  service  there. 

The  3d  of  June,  1770,  almost  a  year  after  the  founding 


The  Search  for  Monterey  Bay 


123 


of  San  Diego  mission,  was  the  day  fixed  for  the  beginning 
of  the  new  mission  of  Monterey.  Everybody  was  happy. 
No  one  could  work  fast  enough.  Preparations  were 
quickly  made.  Branches  were  stretched  as  a  shelter  until 
a  hut  could  be  built, 
and  later  the  church. 
The  bells  were  hung  in 
the  trees  and  joyously 
rung.  A  cross  was 
planted.  The  cannon 
and  the  muskets  were 
fired.  Hymns  were 
sung.  In  his  long 
priest's  robes  Father 
Serra  blessed  the  found- 
ing of  this  new  mis- 
sion. In  the  joy  of  his 
heart,  his  face  radiant 
with  happiness,  he  for- 
got all  the  sufferings 
and  discouragements  of  Cross  at  Monterey 

the  past  months. 

Governor  Portola  was  almost  as  delighted  as  Father 
Serra.  When  the  church  services  were  over,  he  called 
out  the  soldiers,  and  made  ready  to  take  civil  and  military 
possession  of  the  land.  The  royal  flag  was  planted ;  the 
sea  breeze  swept  out  its  folds,  and  as  it  floated  over  him, 
Portola  called  in  a  loud  voice  that  all  this  country  belonged 
now  and  always  to  Spain.  Then  the  soldiers  pulled  grass, 
and  picked  up  stones,  and  threw  them.  This  was  their 


124  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

odd  way,  centuries  old,  of  saying  that  everything  which 
grew  and  all  that  was  on  the  land  belonged  to  Spain. 

All  that  had  been  done  for  the  church  and  the  king  was 
carefully  written  down  on  parchment.  The  news  that 
Monterey  had  been  found  and  a  settlement  started  must 
be  sent  to  Mexico,  to  be  forwarded  from  there  to  Spain. 
Who  would  be  the  messengers? 

On  a  day  of  such  excitement  the  question  was  hardly 
necessary.  Two  men,  a  soldier  and  a  sailor,  sprang  for- 
ward, ready  to  start  on  the  long,  dangerous  journey.  A 
few  days  later  they  set  out  to  carry  the  good  news  to  Gal- 
vez  in  the  city  of  Mexico. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  two  reasons  may  be  given  for  the  failure  to 
recognize  Monterey  Bay  ?  Can  any  reason  be  given  for  the  failure  of 
the  leaders  to  see  the  importance  of  San  Francisco  Bay  ?  Why  did  the 
trip  north  and  the  return  take  so  much  time?  What  risks  would  Gov- 
ernor Portola  have  taken  by  remaining  at  San  Diego  if  the  San  Antonio 
had  not  returned?  What  two  reasons  may  be  given  why  Monterey 
was  easily  recognized  on  the  second  trip  ? 


CHAPTER  XIV 
THE  LAST  DAYS  OF  FATHER  SERRA 


FATHER  SERRA  was 
never  idle.  He  taught 
the  Indians  who  came 
to  the  mission  to  live ; 
he  helped  in  any  of  the 
work  about  the  build- 
ings ;  he  planned  new 
missions  and  founded 
them ;  he  was  con- 
stantly officiating  at  the 
services  of  the  church, 
preaching,  celebrating 
mass,  baptizing,  con- 
firming. As  his  duties 
called  him,  he  went  from 
mission  to  mission,  and 
once  even  to  Mexico. 
It  was  slow  and  tedious 
traveling  in  those  days, 
especially  for  one  who, 

like  Father  Serra,  was  far  from  strong.     More  than  once 
as  he  left  a  mission,  its  inhabitants  felt  that  they  had  seen 

125 


Scene  in  Southern  California 


126  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

him  for  the  last  time ;  but  his  will  and  love  for  the  work 
kept  up  his  strength. 

With  occasional  absences,  Father  Crespi  remained  at 
Monterey  until  his  death,  and  as  he  watched  his  friend 
and  superior  he  realized  that  he  was  working  far  beyond 
his  powers  of  endurance.  He  sometimes  said  so,  but 
Father  Serra  always  smiled  and  shook  his  head. 

"  I  have  come  to  California  to  save  souls,"  would  be  his 
answer,  as  he  kept  on  working. 

One  of  his  plans  was  to  build  a  line  of  missions  from 
San  Diego  to  Monterey,  and  to  prolong  it,  if  possible,  to 
San  Francisco  Bay.  The  missions  were  to  be  near  enough 
together  to  serve  as  shelters  on  the  long  journey  from  one 
of  these  places  to  the  other.  He  listened  eagerly  whenever 
priests,  soldiers,  or  Indians  told  about  beautiful  valleys 
with  fine  trees,  running  water,  and  fertile  soil.  He  always 
inquired  if  many  Indians  were  near,  for  it  would  be  useless 
to  establish  a  mission  where  there  would  be  no  converts. 

Fifteen  years  Father  Serra  labored  in  California.  Dur- 
ing that  time  he  and  the  priests  who  were  with  him  or 
who  came  to  him  from  Mexico,  founded  nine  missions. 
These  were,  besides  San  Diego  and  Monterey,  San  An- 
tonio, San  Gabriel,  San-  Luis  Obispo,  San  Juan  Capistrano, 
San  Francisco  Dolores,  Santa  Clara,  and  San  Buenaven- 
tura ;  some  of  which  were  later  among  the  strongest  and 
wealthiest  of  all  the  missions  in  California.  He  baptized 
and  confirmed  nearly  six  thousand  people,  the  greater 
number  of  whom  were  Indians. 

But  Father  Serra's  life  was  nearly  spent.  The  old 
wound  on  his  leg  still  caused  him  most  acute  suffering; 


The  Last  Days  of  Father  Serra  127 

he  had  worn  himself  out,  not  only  by  the  hard  journeys 
which  he  had  frequently  taken,  but  also  by  the  severity  of 
his  religious  life.  Although  Father  Serra  lived  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  in  spirit  he  was  a  monk  of  the  Middle 
Ages ;  like  them  he  believed  in  punishing  the  body  that 
he  might  make  better  his  heart.  He  often  scourged  him- 
self with  a  chain,  baring  his  shoulders  to  the  heavy  blows ; 
he  held  aloft  heavy  weights,  at  times  with  both  hands  at 
once ;  he  burnt  his  breast  by  holding  to  it  lighted  tapers, 
doing  this  so  often  that  the  flesh  did  not  heal  over,  and 
thereby  bringing  on  himself  one  of  the  causes  of  his  death. 
Such  treatment  was  enough  to  kill  a  body  already  weak- 
ened by  disease  and  overwork.  We  of  to-day  may  not 
believe  in  such  torments,  but  certain  it  is  that  if  more  men 
had  the  determination  of  purpose,  the  unselfishness  of 
deed,  and  the  purity  of  life  shown  by  Father  Serra,  the 
world  would  be  a  better  place  to  live  in. 

As  the  end  drew  near,  in  August,  1784,  the  good  father 
longed  to  see  his  dearest  friends.  He  wrote  many  fare- 
well letters ;  one  of  them  was  to  Father  Palou,  who  for 
some  years  had  been  in  Alta  California,  and  who  was  at  that 
time  at  the  mission  of  San  Francisco  Dolores.  No  sooner 
did  he  receive  the  dying  message  of  his  beloved  friend 
and  leader  than  he  hurried  to  Monterey.  On  his  arrival 
he  found  Father  Serra  very  weak.  He  was  lying  in  his 
little  room,  or  cell.  He  was  suffering  dreadfully,  but  he 
was  cheerful.  He  had  never  complained  while  living  ;  he 
would  not  complain  now  that  he  was  dying. 

The  day  before  his  death  he  wanted  to  go  to  church 
once  more,  and  no  one  could  persuade  him  to  remain  on 


128  The  Missions  of  Alt  a  California 

his  bed.  The  mission  church  was  only  a  few  steps  away, 
and  with  the  help  of  some  of  those  who  loved  him  he 
dragged  himself  slowly  to  it.  There  he  knelt  and  prayed 
for  a  long  time,  watched  with  tears  by  all  the  Spaniards  in 
the  settlement  and  by  the  Indians  who  loved  him  like  a 
father. 

After  mass  had  been  said,  Father  Serra  was  assisted 
back  to  his  little  cell.  He  could  neither  rest  nor  sleep. 
He  could  not  lie  down,  but  there  were  loving  arms  to  hold 
him.  The  Indians  begged  for  the  privilege  of  support- 
ing his  wasted  form.  Rousing  a  little,  the  sick  man 
turned  to  Father  Palou,  who  never  quitted  his  bedside. 

"  Bury  me  by  the  side  of  Father  Crespi,"  he  whispered. 

Father  Palou  could  scarcely  speak  for  his  tears ;  but  he 
assured  him  it  should  be  as  he  desired. 

A  few  hours  passed  slowly  to  the  watchers  who  were 
holding  the  dying  man  in  their  arms.  At  last  Father 
Serra  asked  them  feebly  to  lay  him  on  his  bed  to  rest. 
Gently  they  did  so.  Whispering  to  each  other  that  he 
wished  to  sleep,  they  crept  softly  away. 

Father  Palou  could  not  stay  long.  Coming  quietly 
back,  he  pushed  open  the  door  of  the  cell.  Father  Serra 
lay  stretched  on  his  bed  just  as  they  had  left  him.  He 
was  indeed  at  rest  in  the  sleep  which  knows  no  earthly 
awakening. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  conditions  prevented  Father  Serra  from  found- 
ing missions  more  rapidly?  Why  was  he  so  beloved  by  the  Spaniards? 
by  the  Indians?  What  are  some  of  the  influences  which  must  have 
passed  from  his  life  into  the  mission  system  ? 


CHAPTER  XV 
LIFE   AT   THE   MISSIONS 

THERE  had  been  two  reasons  for  establishing  missions 
in  Alta  California.  One  was  to  convert  the  Indians ;  the 
other  was  to  hold  for  the  church  and  for  the  king  of  Spain 
all  the  coast  from  San  Diego  to  Monterey.  Nineteen  mis- 


The  Mission  of  San  Diego 

sions  were  soon  flourishing  near  the  ocean  or  a  little  inland  ; 
the  most  northern,  on  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  the  most 
southern,  on  that  of  San  Diego,  the  two  best  harbors 
in  California.  Later  two  other  missions  were  founded 
north  of  San  Francisco,  but  as  they  were  to  offset  the 

SPAN.    IN    SOUTHWEST  —  9  129 


130  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

growing  power  of  Russia,  they  belonged  to  an  entirely 
different  spirit  from  the  one  which  gave  rise  to  the  insti- 
tutions farther  south. 

The  supplies  for  San  Diego  and  Monterey  were  brought 
directly  from  Mexico  by  sea  and  by  land ;  but  whenever  a 
new  mission  was  founded,  food,  tools,  and  church  articles 
were  taken  to  the  place  from  an  older  settlement  by  pack 
trains  of  mules.  The  planting  of  any  one'  mission  was 
very  like  that  of  all  the  others.  A  fertile  spot  was  chosen 
not  far  from  the  ocean  and  near  the  trail  from  Monterey 
to  San  Diego.  Usually  it  was  also  a  beautiful  place ;  for 
when  the  fathers  located  the  mission  they  seem  to  have 
had  an  appreciative  eye  for  fine  scenery.  Perhaps, 
as  at  San  Diego,  Santa  Barbara,  and  Monterey,  the  mis- 
sion looked  out  on  one  hand  over  the  ocean,  and  on  the 
other  over  the  rolling  hills  and  fertile  valleys  where,  in  a 
few  years,  the  fathers  pastured  their  flocks ;  perhaps,  as 
at  San  Gabriel,  San  Luis  Rey,  and  San  Fernando,  the 
hills  cut  off  all  the  outlook  to  the  ocean,  and  the  eyes 
rested  on  the  beautiful  country  soon  claimed  by  the 
mission  as  its  own. 

When  the  place  had  been  selected,  the  bells  were  swung 
in  some  convenient  trees  ;  a  wooden  cross  was  fastened 
together  and  elevated ;  an  altar  was  built  of  brushwood, 
and  a  hut  of  the  same  to  serve  as  a  chapel  until  a  church 
could  be  built.  The  priests  in  their  long  robes  pronounced 
mass,  the  first  service  at  the  new  mission  ;  some  one  struck 
the  bells  ;  hymns  were  sung ;  for  want  of  better  music  the 
soldiers  fired  off  their  guns,  and  if  the  ships  were  near,  the 
cannon  added  their  deeper  tones  to  the  music  of  the  hour. 


Life  at  the  Missions 


Sometimes,  as  at  Monterey,  the  day  was  concluded  with  a 
feast  The  next  morning  saw  the  beginning  of  the  harder 
work  of  the  founding. 

At  San  Antonio,  the  first  mission  established  after 
Monterey,  Father  Serra  was  so  eager  and  excited  that  he 
could  scarcely  wait  until 
the  bells  were  unpacked 
and  hung  in  a  tree. 
Then  he  began  to  strike 
them  with  all  his  might, 
shouting  out,  "  Come, 
O  ye,  gentiles  ;  come  to 
the  Holy  Church  ;  come 
to  the  faith  of  Jesus 

Christ  !- "         The     priest  Ei  Carmel0)  near  Monterey 

who     was     with      him 

looked  on  in  amazement,  for  there  were  no  Indians  within 
hearing ;  but  Father  Serra  kept  on  until  he  was  tired. 
Then,  turning  to  his  companion,  he  said  that  he  wished 
all  the  "gentiles,"  as  the  priests  called  the  savage  Indians, 
could  hear  him  and  be  brought  into  the  church.  He  had 
the  same  interest  and  delight  in  all  the  nine  missions 
founded  before  his  death. 

From  the  first  day  the  priests  planned  how  to  get  Indians 
to  live  at  the  missions.  Often  the  savages  knew  nothing 
about  the  coming  of  the  white  men  until  the  ringing  of 
bells  and  the  firing  of  guns  went  echoing  across  the  plains 
and  mountains.  Startled  by  these  new  sounds,  the  natives 
ran  curiously  forward  to  learn  what  was  happening.  The 
guns  might  frighten  them  away,  but  peals  from  the  bells, 


132 


The  Missions  of  Alta  California 


music  of  the  voices  joined  in  singing  hymns,  and  the  sight 
of  fine  robes  worn  by  the  priests  during  the  services,  were 
almost  sure  to  bring  them  back  in  open-eyed  surprise  and 
admiration.  When  they  had  gazed  and  listened  until  the 
first  curiosity  was  satisfied,  the  priests  tried  other  means 
of  keeping  them  or  of  inducing  them  to  come  again.  Such 
presents  as  Indians  like  were  given  them  ;  food,  too,  if  any 
could  be  spared  from  the  mission  stores.  Pleased  by  this 


Mission  of  San  Juan  Capistrano 

treatment,  some  stayed  at  the  mission,  and  those  who  went 
away  were  sure  to  come  again,  bringing  others  with  them 
for  a  share  in  the  white  man's  pleasures.  Lazy  and  always 
hungry,  the  Indians  were  glad  to  stay  at  the  missions  where 
food  and  clothing  were  given  them.  So  the  numbers  grew; 
sometimes  slowly  as  at  San  Diego,  sometimes  rapidly  as 
at  San  Luis  Rey. 

When  the  Indians  were  once  settled  in  their  new  life, 


Life  at  the  Missions  133 

the  fathers  began  to  teach  them  some  of  the  doctrines  of 
the  church  and  how  to  work.  They  first  went  slowly,  for 
neither  party  had  yet  learned  the  other's  language  ;  but  the 
results  of  their  work  soon  began  to  show  around  the  mis- 
sions. The  simple,  stupid,  but  usually  good-natured  natives 
took  kindly  to  their  surroundings.  They  were  more  will- 
ing to  work  for  others  than  for  themselves,  and  they  had 
such  awe  and  respect  for  the  fathers  that  they  were 
usually  obedient. 

New  mission  buildings  were  soon  begun.  The  brush 
hut  that  had  at  first  done  duty  for  a  church  must  be 
replaced  by  something  far  better.  Many  of  the  fathers 
had  lived  in  Europe,  where  they  had  seen  beautiful  cathe- 
drals, and  they  wanted  fine  churches  in  California  for 
themselves  and  the  Indians.  Warm,  dry  houses  to  live  in 
must  be  built  before  -the  coming  of  the  winter  rains,  and 
the  Indians  who  came  to  the  missions  must  be  sheltered, 
even  if  only  in  their  own  kind  of  huts. 

At  no  two  missions  were  the  buildings  arranged  just 
alike,  but  some  parts  in  all  of  them  were  nearly  the  same. 
There  was  a  great  open  square,  the  courtyard,  around 
which  were  grouped  the  church,  the  residences  of  the 
priests,  the  rooms  for  the  three  or  four  soldiers  who  acted 
as  guards,  the  workshops,  and  granaries.  One  or  two  large 
doorways  opened  into  the  interior  of  this  court.  If  build- 
ings did  not  extend  around  the  whole  of  it,  a  high  adobe 
wall  finished  out  the  square  to  serve  as  a  protection  in  case 
of  attack  from  Indians.  At  some  of  the  missions,  in 
the  center  of  the  courtyard  was  a  fountain.  The  church, 
towering  above  all  the  other  buildings,  was  on  one  corner. 


1 34  The  Missions  of  A  Ita  California 

Next  to  it  were  the  rooms  of  the  priests,  at  some  missions 
small  as  cells,  at  others  large  and  comfortable.  These 
rooms,  like  the  church,  opened  outside  the  court  as  well  as 
inside ;  the  former  were  fronted  by  a  corridor,  often  very 
picturesque  with  its  pillars  and  arches.  The  other  build- 
ings opened  into  the  court.  The  dining  room  was  next  to 
the  fathers'  rooms.  At  San  Carlos  this  was  twenty  by  forty 
feet  in  size  ;  the  windows  were  grated  and  had  heavy  inside 
wooden  shutters.  Adjoining  it  was  the  kitchen  with  its 
big  fireplace  and  chimney.  Near  by  were  the  apartments 
for  visitors.  On  the  other  side  of  the  court  were  various 
shops.  There  was  the  place  for  the  weavers  where  the 
looms  were  put  up;  shops  for  the  carpenter,  tlie  black- 
smith, the  saddlers,  the  hatters  ;  granaries  ;  vats  for  tallow. 
Not  far  away  were  buildings  for  melting  tallow,  making 
soap,  and,  at  some  of  the  missions,  for  storing  salt,  butter, 
wool,  and  hides.  At  a  little  distance  were  the  Indian 
quarters,  a  village  of  rudely  made  huts. 

Adobe  was  the  principal  material  used  for  building, 
although  stone  was  used  wherever  it  was  abundant.  Bricks 
could  be  made  from  the  adobe  clay,  but  as  the  priests  knew 
little  about  its  use,  there  were  many  efforts  before  they 
succeeded  in  forming  those  flat,  heavy  bricks,  so  familiar 
to  all  visitors  at  the  mission  ruins  to-day.  These  bricks 
were  only  sun-baked,  so  they  had  to  be  made  into  walls 
several  feet  thick,  and  covered  with  a  cement  to  keep  them 
from  softening  in  the  rains. 

Making  the  roofs  gave  the  most  trouble.  At  first  they 
were  covered  with  brush,  straw,  or  reeds ;  but  these  would 
not  keep  out  the  rains,  and  after  drying  thoroughly,  they 


Life  at  the  Missions  135 

caught  fire  easily.  Some  of  the  missions  had  serious 
losses  from  the  roofs  burning,  either  by  accident  or  from 
being  set  on  fire  by  blazing  arrows  of  hostile  Indians.  Adobe 
bricks  were  tried,  but  they  were  too  heavy;  or  in  some 
cases,  when  the  heavy  winter  rains  came,  they  washed 
back  again  into  mud.  A  priest  at  San  Luis  Obispo 
determined  that  he  would  make  roof  tiles  like  those  used 
in  Europe.  He  did  not  know  just  how  to  go  to  work,  and 
there  was  no  one  to  teach  him,  but  he  tried  again  and 
again  until  he  succeeded  in  making  and  burning  tiles  that 
answered  his  purpose.  They  were  just  what  the  rest  of 
the  missionaries  wanted,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they 
were  in  use  at  all  of  the  settlements  in  Alta  California. 

These  tiles  were  so  heavy  that  strong  rafters  were 
needed  for  their  support.  At  some  of  the  missions  it 
was  easy  to  get  large  enough  timbers,  but  at  others 
there  was  not  a  good-sized  tree  for  miles  in  every  direc- 
tion. There  were  plenty  in  the  mountains,  but  the 
difficulty  was  in  bringing  them  down.  It  was  decided 
to  set  the  Indians  at  this  work,  severe  as  it  was.  Some 
of  the  soldiers  went  into  the  mountains  with  a  gang  of 
neophytes,  as  the  mission  Indians  were  called.  They 
showed  the  laborers  how  to  cut  and  haul  the  trees,  and 
made  them  work  if  they  showed  signs  of  stopping.  Tall 
trees  were  brought  back,  but  how  we  do  not  know.  The 
timbers  are  in  the  mission  roofs  to-day,  and  the  Indians 
brought  them.  But  who  can  tell  how  hard  they  worked  ? 
Who  knows  whether  they  were  patient  beasts  of  burden 
for  the  Spaniards,  or  whether  bitterness  and  hatred  swelled 
in  the  hearts  of  these  once  free  men  ?  As  they  pulled  and 


136  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

hauled  those  tree  trunks  sixty  and  seventy  miles,  did  they 
begin  to  ask  themselves  who  had  made  the  white  men 
their  masters  ? 

When  the  trees  were  at  the  mission,  another  difficulty 
presented  itself.  There  were  no  nails.  But  the  Spaniards 
were  equal  to  this  also.  After  the  rafters  were  brought 
into  place,  crosspieces  were  laid  on  them  close  together. 
These  were  bound  fast  to  the  heavy  timbers  by  means  of 
long  strips  of  freshly  cut  rawhide,  which  shrank  as  it 
dried  until  the  woodwork  was  held  as  tight  as  if  fas- 
tened with  nails.  The  roof  was  then  ready  for  the  tiles. 
These  were  the  shape  of  a  cylinder  cut  in  half  lengthwise. 
One  layer  was  put  on  the  crosspieces  with  the  curved 
side  down ;  a  top  layer  was  added  with  its  curved  side 
up  and  its  edges  in  the  troughs  of  the  lower  layers.  At 
some  of  the  best  preserved  missions  there  are  still  to  be 
seen  timbers  bound  together  with  the  rawhide  fastened 
around  them  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago,  and  rem- 
nants of  the  tile  roofs  remain  where  they  were  placed 
or  near  the  dilapidated  walls. 

The  church  was  always  the  pride  of  the  priests  who 
planned  it,  and  often  of  the  neophytes  whose  hands 
helped  build  it.  Those  of  San  Luis  Rey  and  San  Juan 
Capistrano  were  the  finest  in  all  Upper  California.  The 
latter  was  destroyed  by  the  severe  earthquake  of  December, 
1812,  but  the  remains  of  the  former  are  still  to  be  seen. 
The  church  of  Santa  Barbara  is  of  stone ;  it  is  a  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  long  by  sixty  feet  wide.  It  is  still  in  use 
and  is  in  good  repair.  The  church  had  usually  one  or  two 
towers  in  which  hung  the  bells,  the  delight  of  the  Indians 


Life  at  the  Missions 


137 


as  well  as  of  the  fathers.  The  interiors  were  made  as 
beautiful  as  possible.  Pictures  and  statues  were  brought 
from  Mexico  and  even  from  Spain  with  the  greatest 
care;  gold  or  silver  plate  was  used.  In  decorating  the 
church  the  fathers  had  to  remember  that  they  were  living 


A  portion  of  San  Juan  Capistrano  restored 

with  savages  whose  eyes  were  pleased  with  bright-colored 
hangings  and  shining  plate,  and  the  good  priests  tried  to 
please  the  tastes  of  the  Indians ;  but  for  churches  in  the 
wilderness,  so  many  weeks'  travel  from  civilization,  it  is 
a  wonder  that  they  were  so  well  made  and  decorated. 

The  little  village  of  Indian  huts  contrasted  strangely 
with  the  adobe  walls  and  buildings  of  the  Spaniards.  In 
the  early  days  of  mission  life  the  huts  were  made  of 
tules,  or  of  poles  tied  together  at  the  top  and  covered 
with  grass  or  reeds ;  or  they  were  made  in  any  way  to 


138  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

which  the  Indians  were  accustomed.  As  more  savages 
came,  the  village  was  made  larger  until  at  some  of  the 
missions  it  numbered  several  hundred  huts.  These  were 
for  the  families  only  ;  there  was  always  a  hall  or  dormitory 
for  the  youths  and  another  for  the  girls.  At  San  Carlos, 
as  late  as  1786,  the  Indians  still  lived  in  their  wretched 
huts,  but  often  the  fathers  rebuilt  the  Indian  quarters 
as  soon  as  the  more  important  structures  were  finished. 
This  was  done  at  San  Luis  Rey ;  and  at  Santa  Barbara 
the  Indian  village  was  inclosed  by  an  adobe  wall,  so  that 
it  was  as  well  protected  as  the  rest  of  the  buildings. 

Near  the  low,  irregular  mission  buildings  were  the 
orchards  and  kitchen  gardens ;  a  little  farther  away  were 
the  fields  of  grain,  and  then  the  pastures  for  the  herds 
began.  As  soon  as  there  were  Indians  enough  to  do  the 
work,  the  garden  and  orchards  were  often  inclosed  by  an 
^adobe  wall  or  a  hedge  of  prickly-pear  cactus.  The  fields 
swept  over  the  plains,  rich  valleys,  and  foothills,  wherever 
there  were  fertile  places.  The  land  claimed  by  any  one 
mission  might  be  thirty  or  forty  square  miles,  and  when 
all  the  nineteen  missions  had  been  founded  from  San 
Diego  to  San  Francisco,  the  claim  was  sometimes  made 
that  the  land  of  one  mission  touched  that  of  the  next. 
Thus  nearly  all  the  fertile  land  along  the  coast  was  owned 
or  controlled  by  the  missions,  or,  as  the  priests  said,  it  was 
held  by  them  in  trust  for  the  Indians. 

For  a  year  or  two  after  the  founding  of  San  Diego  and 
Monterey,  food  was  sent  up  by  ship  from  Mexico.  But  as 
the  vessels  might  be  even  months  later  than  was  expected, 
the  people  at  the  missions  were  several  times  brought  to 


Life  at  the  Missions  139 

the  verge  of  starvation.  As  the  Indians  increased  in  num- 
bers, it  became  impossible  to  bring  food  enough  for  all 
from  Mexico.  Every  effort  was  made  to  raise  grain  and 
vegetables,  and  as  the  herds  became  larger,  there  was 
meat  also  to  eat. 

More  than  once  in  the  early  years,  the  fathers  had  to 
ask  for  acorns,  grass  seeds,  and  pine  nuts.  Then  the 
Indians  went  out  and  filled  their  deep,  cone-shaped  baskets 
with  whatever  they  could  find.  Returning  home,  they 
pounded  out  the  meal  and  baked  bread  as  in  the  days 
when  they  roamed  at  will,  thus  saving  the  people  at  the 
mission  from  starvation.  At  some  of  the  missions  it  was 
always  a  custom  to  let  the  neophytes  go  out  to  gather  nuts 
and  seeds  at  the  proper  seasons.  The  Indians  were  fond 
of  them  for  food,  and  their  use  saved  some  of  the  mission 
stores.  At  San  Diego,  whenever  dry  seasons  destroyed 
the  crops,  the  Indians  were  sent  out  into  the  mountains 
to  hunt  food  in  their  old  way  as  best  they  might. 

The  fathers  soon  saw  that  if  they  were  to  have  good 
crops,  they  must  irrigate  some  of  their  land.  Here  was 
more  hard  work  for  the  Indians.  Miles  of  irrigating 
ditches  were  dug,  and  thousands  of  acres  watered  by  the 
streams  they  brought.  At  Soledad  there  were  fifteen 
miles  of  these  ditches ;  at  Purisima  the  streams  from  many 
small  springs  were  brought  together  into  one  flume,  and  a 
supply  of  delicious  water  was  always  to  be  depended  on 
at  that  mission.  Irrigation  was  a  necessity  for  all  the 
missions. 

The  fathers  liked  to  walk  around  their  gardens,  and 
well  they  might.  Peaches,  pears,  pomegranates,  oranges, 


140 


The  Missions  of  Alta  California 


limes,  citrons,  dates,  figs,  grapes,  all  grew  freely.  Wheat, 
maize,  beans,  barley,  were  raised  in  abundance  after  the 
missions  were  once  well  started.  When  Americans  first 
came  to  California  they  were  surprised  to  see  such  a  wealth 
of  good  things  to  eat. 

Day  after  day  passed  in  much  the  same  way  at  the 
missions,  but  every  day  was  a  busy  one.  La  Perouse,  a 
French  traveler  who  visited  San  Carlos  in  1786,  left  an 


Ruined  fountain  at  the  Mission  of  San  Fernando 

account  of  what  he  saw  there ;  with  a  few  exceptions  the 
description  would  apply  to  any  mission.  At  sunrise  the 
whole  place  was  astir.  The  church  bells  soon  rang,  and 
everybody  spent  an  hour  at  prayers.  Then  came  break- 
fast of  atole,  a  porridge  made  of  barley.  During  the  hour 
for  prayers  this  was  cooked  in  three  great  boilers  from 
which  all  the  Indians  were  served.  Each  family  ate  by 


Life  at  the  Missions  141 

itself ;  from  every  hut  came  some  one  with  a  bowl  made 
of  the  bark  of  a  tree ;  into  it  was  put  the  family  supply  of 
porridge,  which  was  taken  away  and  eaten  at  home.  The 
unmarried  ate  in  their  halls.  During  the  forenoon  all  the 
men  and  women  worked  in  the  fields  or  shops.  Any  day 
of  the  year  girls  could  be  seen  in  the  courtyard  spinning. 
At  noon  the  church  bell  rang  again  ;  work  stopped  and  din- 
ner was  eaten.  This,  too,  was  of  porridge,  but  made  this 
time  of  peas,  beans,  wheat,  and  maize.  Everybody  worked 
again  until  about  five  in  the  afternoon ;  then  came  another 
hour  for  prayers  at  the  church,  followed  by  supper. 
Again  porridge  was  served,  made  of  barley  as  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  evening  was  short,  for  all  went  to  bed  in  good 
season  in  order  to  be  up  with  the  next  morning's  sun. 

As  one  writer  says,  there  was  plenty  to  eat,  but  it  was 
always  porridge.  Three  times  a  day  the  great  boilers 
were  heated,  and  the  wooden  bowls  filled ;  the  only  differ- 
ence in  their  contents  being  the  grain  used.  Large  as  the 
herds  of  animals  became,  fond  as  the  Indians  were  of 
meat,  it  was  seldom  given  them,  —  according  to  La 
Perouse,  only  on  saints'  day,  and  then  it  was  often  eaten 
raw  with  pieces  of  fat  as  the  choicest  morsels.  Some  of 
the  missions,  however,  gave  the  Indians  meat  once  a  week. 
Every  Friday  some  of  the  vaqueros,  or  herdsmen,  went 
out  to  the  herds,  separated  out  twenty  or  thirty  cattle, 
and  drove  them  into  a  corral.  Saturday  morning  they 
were  lassoed,  and  brought  out  one  by  one  to  be  killed 
and  divided.  The  Spaniards  selected  whatever  pieces 
they  wished,  and  what  was  left  was  given  to  the  neophytes 
as  their  share  for  the  coming  week.  No  matter  what  the 


142  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

amount,  it  rarely  lasted  the  Indians  longer  than  over  Sun- 
day and  Monday,  for  they  feasted  on  it  with  their  savage 
gluttony  as  long  as  any  scraps  were  left. 

Once  baptized,  the  Indian  belonged  to  the  church ;  his 
days  of  freedom  were  over.  He  was  under  orders  as  to 
the  time  of  getting  up  in  the  morning,  eating  his  meals, 
going  to  church.  With  all  the  longing  of  his  nature,  the 
Indian  looked  at  the  thousands  of  horses  around  him ;  but 
he  must  not  ride  unless  he  were  a  vaquero,  or  a  cattle 
herder,  for  with  a  horse  under  him  he  might  escape.  He 
must  not  leave  the  settlement  without  permission  from  the 
fathers ;  and  this  was  rarely  given  •  him  lest  he  should 
return  to  his  gentile  friends,  and  be  lost  to  the  church. 

Nearly  all  the  work  of  the  missions  was  done  by  the 
Indians,  who  learned  quickly  the  simple  trades.  As  new 
neophytes  came,  they  were  taught  by  the  priests,  by  Span- 
iards sent  to  California  for  that  purpose,  or  by  Indians 
who  had  already  become  good  workmen. 

They  cultivated  fields,  herded  animals,  built  houses,  spun 
wool,  and  wove  the  coarse  cloth  used  at  the  missions  and 
by  some  Spaniards  in  California.  They  were  cooks,  tailors, 
hat  makers,  shoemakers.  They  learned  to  make  saddles 
and  to  stamp  the  leather  used.  They  made  ox-horn  cups, 
softening  the  horn  by  soaking,  shaping  it  over  wood,  and 
engraving  it  with  a  common  nail.  In  many  of  these  crafts 
the  neophytes  became  skillful,  satisfying  the  simple  wants 
of  the  mission  days.  In  short,  the  Indians  who  had  been 
so  lazy  in  the  wilderness  did  all  kinds  of  work  for  the 
priests;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  fathers 
planned  it  all  for  them,  showed  them  how  to  do  it,  and 


Life  at  the  Missions  143 

sent  overseers  with  them  to  be  sure  that  all  directions  were 
obeyed.  They  knew  that  the  Indians  were  like  children. 
Left  to  themselves  they  would  not  and  did  not  work ;  but 
under  the  constant  training  and  watching  of  the  few  sol- 
diers, the  priests,  and  the  Spanish  workmen  at  every 
mission,  they  did  almost  everything.  So  complete  and 
sudden  a  change  in  the  lives  of  savages  could  not  be  made 


Court  and  arches  at  San  Luis  Rey 

without  some  evil  effects.  One  of  these  showed  itself 
after  a  few  years  in  the  large  number  of  deaths  among  the 
neophytes. 

For  convenience  in  working  and  in  training,  the  Indians 
were  divided  into  small  companies  or  gangs  of  workmen, 
each  with  its  overseer.  A  trusted  Indian  was  often  put 
into  this  position,  and  by  bearing  responsibilities  he  usu- 
ally became  still  more  capable.  If  all  the  neophytes  had 
shared  in  the  responsibilities  of  the  missions,  they  -would 


144  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

have  reasoned  better,  would  have  gained  more  self-control, 
and  the  history  of  the  missions  and  of  the  Indians  of  Cali- 
fornia would  have  been  wonderfully  changed. 

They  went  to  church  two  hours  of  the  day  and  the 
fathers  taught  them  a  short  catechism.  It  was  not  an 
education  of  the  mind;  it  was  more  like  teaching  a  parrot 
or  a  monkey  or  a  dog.  The  lesson  was  said  over  and  over 
until  the  Indians  could  repeat  portions.  As  it  was  not  in 
their  language  they  could  not  understand  what  they  were 
saying,  but  could  only  repeat  names  and  words  that  came 
often  in  the  service.  If  they  were  slow  in  learning,  or 
made  many  mistakes,  they  might,  perhaps,  be  punished 
like  an  animal,  by  being  cuffed  or  beaten.  If  the  lesson 
were  well  done,  they  were  rewarded  by  some  favorite  mor- 
sel to  eat,  or  by  a  holiday.  An  extra  portion  of  grain  was 
a  reward.  It  could  be  ground  and  made  into  a  cake  to  be 
baked  in  the  ashes.  The  porridge,  which,  in  cooking, 
thickens  at  the  bottom  of  the  boiler,  was  scraped  out  and 
given  to  some  child  to  repay  some  well-learned  catechism. 

This  was  all  the  teaching  that  the  Indians  received. 
They  picked  up  a  few  Spanish  words,  but  were  never 
carefully  taught  the  language.  On  this  ignorance  was 
built  up  the  immense  system  of  Indian  labor  at  the  mis- 
sions, and  an  unsafe  foundation  it  proved  to  be.  Such 
training  did  not  change  the  savage  nature,  which  made 
itself  felt  on  many  occasions. 

Since  the  Indians  were  in  many  ways  like  overgrown 
children,  it  is  not  surprising  that  they  had  to  be  punished. 
This  was  usually  done  by  giving  a  few  lashes  on  the  bare 
back,  but  in  later  years  punishments  became  more  cruel. 


Life  at  the  Missions 


As  more  and  more  Indians  came  to  the  missions,  the  num- 
ber of  little  offenses  and  annoyances  increased,  and  the 
whip  was  in  daily  use.  During  the  first  thirty  or  thirty- 
five  years  of  mission 
life  everybody,  man, 
woman,  and  child,  took 
his  whipping  as  good- 
naturedly  as  could  be 
expected.  The  Indians 
knew  that  they  de- 
served to  be  punished, 
and  they  had  great 
respect  for  the  priests, 
who  were  like  fathers 
toward  them.  So,  after 
the  punishment  was 
ended,  they  kissed  the 
priest's  hand  and  went 
back  to  work  with  no 
hard  feelings  in  their 
hearts.  Later  there 
will  be  a  different  and 
a  sadder  story  to  tell. 

Although  the  Indians  worked  hard  and  were  under 
strict  discipline,  they  were  given  many  amusements.  On 
Sundays  there  was  no  work.  They  went  to  ch.urch  three 
or  four  more  hours  than  usual,  but  the  rest  of  the  day  was 
free  for  games  or  idleness.  Sometimes  on  Saturday 
evenings  there  was  dancing,  and  there  were  many  oppor- 
tunities for  fun  and  pleasure.  On  great  occasions,  such 

SPAN.    IN    SOUTHWEST — IO 


Bells  of  San  Gabriel 


146  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

as  the  visits  of  a  governor  or  some  noted  man  from  abroad, 
the  priests  helped  plan  the  entertainment.  One  of  the 
most  important  for  such  an  occasion  was  a  mock  battle 
according  to  savage  customs.  Painted  as  in  olden  times, 
decked  out  with  feathers  such  as  they  had  gloried  in 
before  the  coming  of  white  men,  the  Indians  played  at  a 
battle  between  angry  villages.  But  it  was  only  a  show, 
and,  at  the  end,  the  bows  and  arrows  and  war  clubs  were 
brought  back  to  the  priests.  They  might  have  proved 
dangerous  weapons  if  left  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians. 
The  old  games,  such  as  "  takersia "  and  driving  the 
wooden  ball  to  the  enemy's  base,  were  often  played,  and 
there  seems  to  have  been  no  new  one  to  take  their  places. 
One  of  the  new  pleasures  that  came  to  the  Indians  was 
the  music  learned  for  the  church.  They  were  taught  to 
use  several  instruments,  and  they  played  with  equal  gusto 
whether  at  mass  in  the  morning  or  at  a  ball  in  the  even- 
ing. Celebrations  at  the  church  were  brilliant  days,  dear 
to  the  Indian  musicians.  Near  the  priests  in  their  cere- 
monial robes  were  the  Indians  of  the  choir  in  bright-col- 
ored dress.  Thirty  or  forty,  or  for  great  occasions  even 
a  hundred,  men  and  boys  took  part.  They  played  the 
viol,  violin,  flute,  trumpet,  and  drum ;  and  the  voices  of  all 
joined  in  singing  the  hymns.  An  Indian  of  Santa  Clara 
is  mentioned  who  possessed  a  tenor  voice  which  filled  the 
church  and  delighted  all  who  heard  it.  It  is  true  that  the 
music  was  not  always  in  perfect  harmony,  but  as  the 
instruments  used  by  the  Indians  were  usually  also  made 
by  them,  it  is  not  surprising  that  there  were  many  dis- 
cords in  their  playing. 


Life  at  the  Missions 


147 


The  religion  taught  by  the  priests  did  not  go  deep 
enough  to  root  out  all  the  superstition  of  the  Indians. 
Who  could  expect  that  it  would  in  one  generation  ?  We 
may  be  sure  that  even  the  best  and  brightest  of  the 
mission  Indians  could  not  quite  escape  from  the  weird  and 
fascinating  magic  of  the  savages,  as  they  heard  it  whis- 
pered among  their  parents  and  grandparents. 

They  believed  that  on  dark  nights  the  fore  feet  of  a 
horse  could  be  so  paralyzed  by  an  owl  that  the  animal 
could  not  travel.  They  watched  with  all  the  absolute  cre- 
dulity of  the  savage  a  sorcerer  swallow  a  fiber  from  a 


Mission  of  Santa  Barbara 

plant  and  pull  it  out  of  his  big  toe  as  a  snake.  When 
sick,  they  often  preferred  their  native  medicine  men,  for 
they  believed  in  their  ways  of  treatment  rather  than  in  the 
doses  given  by  the  priests. 

At   Santa  Barbara  many  Indians  were   dying   from    a 


148  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

disease  which  it  seemed  impossible  to  check.  While  it 
was  raging,  one  of  the  neophytes  dreamed  that  all  the 
baptized  Indians  would  die  unless  they  made  sacrifices  to 
Chupu.  Now  this  Chupu,  or  Achup,  was  a  god  of  the 
Indians  living  on  the  channel,  and  the  priests  had  long 
been  struggling  to  make  the  Indians  give  him  up.  But 
the  neophyte  who  had  dreamed  of  Chupu  believed  in  his 
power  to  save  from  death.  Secretly  he  told  his  dream  to 
his  friends,  they  passed  it  on  to  others,  and  in  less  than 
an  hour  it  was  known  to  all  the  mission  Indians.  It  was 
death  for  any  one  to  tell  it  to  the  priests,  who  therefore 
remained  in  ignorance  of  all  the  fears  and  superstitions 
trembling  around  them.  Unknown  to  the  fathers,  the 
Indians  went  to  Chupu,  offered  sacrifices  as  commanded 
in  the  dream,  and  declared  themselves  no  longer  Chris- 
tians. Whether  the  epidemic  was  checked  is  not  re- 
corded, but  for  a  time  the  old  superstition  was  far  stronger 
than  the  new  religion. 

Visitors  were  always  welcome  at  the  missions.  The 
guest  rooms  were  ready,  the  dining  room  was  large,  food 
was  abundant.  When  Father  Serra's  plan  had  been  car- 
ried out,  and  the  nineteen  missions  had  been  founded  from 
San  Francisco  to  San  Diego,  they  were  about  a  day's 
travel  of  thirty  miles  apart.  The  traveler  could  leave 
one  in  the  morning  and  arrive  at  the  next  in  good  season 
for  a  night's  meal  and  rest.  There  was  no  need  to  ask 
for  food  and  shelter,  they  were  ready  for  any  one.  As  the 
horseman  rode  up  to  the  gate  of  the  courtyard  he  was 
met  by  an  Indian  lad  who  came  forward  to  take  his  horse. 
If  a  meal  hour  were  not  near,  chocolate  and  some  light 


Life  at  the  Missions  149 

refreshments  were  offered  to  stay  the  appetite  until  dinner 
could  be  served.  The  table  was  supplied  with  the  best 
from  the  gardens,  orchards,  and  herds.  Perhaps,  in  obe- 
dience to  his  vows,  the  priest  ate  sparingly ;  but  the  visi- 
tor was  expected  to  do  justice  to  whatever  was  on  the 
table.  In  the  morning  a  fresh  horse  was  brought  to  take 
the  place  of  the  tired  one  ridden  the  day  before ;  or  the 
horseman  might  take  his  pick  from  the  herds.  A  boun- 
tiful luncheon  was  provided,  and,  if  necessary,  a  guide  to 
the  next  mission.  Should  the  visitor  decide  to  stay  a 
week  instead  of  only  over  night,  he  did  not  wear  out  his 
welcome. 

The  usual  visitors  were  from  Mexico  or  they  were  Cal- 
ifornians,  such  as  the  governor  or  military  commander  of 
the  province,  soldiers  or  priests,  going  from  one  mission 
to  another.  There  were  many  of  them,  and  probably  a 
week  or  even  a  day  rarely  passed  without  one  or  more 
guests  to  share  the  hospitality  of  the  mission.  By  this 
means  the  distance  from  San  Diego  to  San  Francisco  was 
covered  easily  and  almost  without  expense  to  the  traveler. 

Occasionally  some  ship's  captain  or  traveler  or  explorer 
from  the  distant  countries  of  Europe  or  America  cast 
anchor  in  one  of  the  bays  and  visited  the  missions. 
'These  were  pleasant  occasions  for  the  priests,  giving  them 
glimpses  into  the  world  so  far  away  from  them.  In  the 
accounts  of  some  of  these  men,  as  La  Perouse.of  France, 
Vancouver  of  England,  and  Alfred  Robinson  of  the  United 
States,  is  to  be  found  our  most  valuable  information  of 
conditions  at  the  missions.  It  would  have  been  useless 
and  discourteous  for  such  visitors  to  offer  money  in  pay- 


150  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

ment  for  the  lavish  hospitality  which  they  had  enjoyed; 
but  the  fathers  gladly  accepted  gifts  for  the  church. 

La  Perouse,  who  was  in  California  in  1786,  sent  the 
priests  at  San  Carlos  some  presents  which  proved  valuable. 
These  were  some  potatoes  and  some  seeds  of  French 
plants,  prized  additions  to  the  kitchen  garden ;  and  a 
handmill  for  grinding  grain  into  flour.  Up  to  this  time 
there  had  been  no  mills  in  California ;  the  Indian  women 
pounded  or  crushed  the  grains  in  their  mortars  or  on 
metates  ;  some  of  them  were  kept  grinding  constantly  to 
supply  meal  for  the  porridge  for  hundreds  of  Indians 
three  times  a  day.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  fathers 
at  San  Carlos  did  not  make  much  use  of  this  mill.  They 
said  that  it  ground  out  the  meal  too  rapidly  and  left  the 
women  nothing  to  do.  They  knew  that  it  was  necessary 
to  keep  the  Indians  busy. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  kind  of  a  place  was  selected  for  a  new  mission  ? 
What  supplies  were  taken  ?  What  men  must  stay  at  the  new  settle- 
ment? 

What  two  reasons  can  be  given  for  the  Indians  learning  more  readily 
to  work  than  to  understand  the  religion  of  the  fathers? 

Who  did  the  work  at  the  missions?  Were  there  many  Spaniards 
there?  What  was  usually  their  part  in  the  work?  Was  there  any  rea- 
son for  keeping  the  Indians  so  busy? 

What  caused  the  affection  between  the  fathers  and  the  natives?  In 
what  three  ways,  at  least,  did  the  Indians  improve  by  their  life  at  the 
missions  ?  Can  any  reason  be  given  why  they  may  have  been  unhappy 
at  times?  What  were  the  fathers  trying  to  do  for  them? 

What  was  the  probable  feeling  of  strangers  toward  the  missions? 


(1770) 
Clara  (1777 
•S.Jose  (1791 
S.Cruz  U791) 


Location  of  the 
MISSIONS  OF  ALIA  CALIFORNIA 


Longitude 121          West  from         119  Greenwich 


CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  SLAVERY  OF  THE  MISSIONS 

WHEN,  in  1769,  the  priests  were  allowed  to  come  to 
California  to  establish  missions,  it  was  with  the  under- 
standing that  they  should  teach  the  Indians  to  take  care 
of  themselves  so  that  they  could  be  made  citizens.  The 
missions  were  in  existence  sixty-five  years,  from  1769-1834, 
but  they  failed  in  this  object  desired  by  Spain  and  later  by 
Mexico.  Thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  Indians 
were  taken  into  the  church  at  the  various  missions  along 
the  coast,  but  very  few  of  the  neophytes  reached  the  point 
where  they  could  safely  have  been  made  citizens. 

There  were  several  reasons  for  this  failure  of  the  mission- 
aries to  do  what  was  expected  of  them.  Tribes  of  savages 
cannot,  in  sixty  years,  be  changed  into  a  civilized  people ; 
centuries  are  needed  for  such  a  change.  The  Californian 
Indians  were  naturally  very  stupid  and,  worse  yet,  lazy 
both  in  mind  and  body ;  their  stupidity  might  have  been 
educated  out  of  them  or  their  children,  as  is  shown  by 
many  honest,  fairly  intelligent  laborers  to-day,  but  with 
most  of  the  savages  the  laziness  seemed  to  cling  to  the 
very  marrow  of  their  bones.  A  third  reason  was  that 
none  of  the  teaching  led  the  Indians  to  think  or  act  for 
themselves  ;  every  act  was  planned  for  them.  It  was  the 


The  Slavery  of  the  Missions 


153 


policy  of  the  missions  to  train  obedient,  industrious,  child- 
like servants  of  the  church,  and  the  early  missionaries 
succeeded  remarkably ;  but  they  did  not  educate  thinking, 
reasoning,  questioning  men  and  women.  As  years  passed, 
this  policy  of  training  the  body  without  developing  the 
mind  had  a  most  unfortunate  result,  unexpected,  probably, 
by  the  missionaries  themselves  :  it  brought  about  what  has 


Mission  of  San  Gabriel 

been  called  the  slavery  of  the  missions.  This  means 
simply  that  the  neophytes  were  not  their  own  masters,  nor 
were  they  capable  of  being  so ;  they  belonged  to  the 
church  and  were  ruled  by  the  priests. 

In  the  later  years  of  missions  this  condition  became 
unbearable  to  the  Indians  and  to  all  thinking,  sympathetic 
Spaniards  both  in  and  out  of  the  missions  ;  but  in  the 
early  days  it  was  a  pleasant  relation  on  both  sides.  The 
fathers  taught  the  Indians  and  took  care  of  them  in  many 


154  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

ways,  giving  them  a  fairly  happy  life ;  in  return,  the  neo- 
phytes loved  and  served  the  priests. 

Father  Serra  was  beloved  by  the  Indians  of  San  Carlos 
where  his  work  was  done.  Father  Peyri,  of  San  Luis 
Rey,  was  devoted  to  his  neophytes  and  they  to  him. 
Vancouver,  an  Englishman  who  visited  California  in  1793, 
tells  of  the  strong  affection  of  the  Indians  of  Santa  Bar- 
bara for  their  priest.  He  offered  to  take  the  missionary 
home  from  a  visit  to  another  mission.  The  Indian  ser- 
vants could  not  be  accommodated  on  the  ship,  and  for 
some  reason  they  began  to  suspect  that  the  priest  would 
not  be  safe.  They  begged  him  not  to  return  by  water. 
Breaking  out  into  cries  and  entreaties,  they  insisted  that 
they  knew  he  would  not  reach  home  in  safety.  To  their 
distress  he  embarked,  and  their  moans  and  tears  redoubled 
as  he  left  them  on  the  beach.  When  the  voyage  was  at 
an  end,  Vancouver  saw  a  new  proof  of  affection  on  the 
part  of  the  Indians. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning  when  he  and  the  father 
walked  over  to  the  mission.  By  some  means  the  Indians 
learned  of  the  approach  of  the  priest,  and  came  quickly  to 
meet  him.  The  road  was  soon  filled  with  neophytes,  who 
crowded  forward,  expressing  in  many  ways  their  affection 
for  the  father  and  their  joy  at  his  safe  return.  At  first, 
Vancouver  thought  that  the  great  numbers  coming  toward 
them  were  attracted  only  by  curiosity,  but  he  was  soon 
convinced  that  nothing  but  love  for  the  missionary  had 
caused  the  neophytes  to  come  out  so  early  in  the  morning. 

A  number  of  such  incidents  might  be  given,  showing 
the  affection  between  the  fathers  and  the  Indians.  There 


The  Slavery  of  the  Missions 


155 


can  be  no  question  about  the  earnestness  and  sincere 
intentions  of  the  priests.  They  braved  all  the  hardships 
of  life  in  a  new  country  in  their  honest  desire  to  improve 
the  condition  of  the  Indians.  They  did  not  doubt  that 
they  were  taking  the  right  way  to  accomplish  their 
object.  They  must  not  be  judged  by  the  standards  of 
to-day  nor  of  our  coun- 
try. They  were  Span- 
iards ;  they  lived  in  the 
eighteenth  century ;  and 
Spain  at  that  time  was 
behind  the  rest  of  the 
world.  They  believed 
that  the  Indians  had  no 
need  to  think  for  them- 
selves, but  that  they 
should  be  guided  in 
everything ;  that  their 
happiest  life  was  to  do 
just  what  the  church 
told  them  and  in  just 
the  way  the  church 
directed.  The  priests 
stood  for  the  church 
in  the  lives  of  natives, 
consequently  it  was  the 
priests  who  were  to  be  obeyed.  If  the  Indians  disobeyed 
they  must  be  punished  for  their  own  good,  since  it  might 
help  bring  them  into  a  happier  life.  With  all  the  fanati- 
cism of  Spaniards  of  their  day  the  missionaries  labored  to 


Stairway  to  choir,  San  Gabriel 


156  The  Missions  of  A  It  a  California 

teach  the  natives.  They  were  earnest  and  genuine,  and 
many  of  them  were  kind  and  affectionate.  There  are  few 
men  of  to-day  who  would  be  willing  to  undergo  the  hard- 
ships, discouragements,  and  isolation,  so  bravely  and 
cheerily  met  by  the  priests  of  Alta  California.  Never- 
theless, their  system  was  touched  by  the  blight  and  decay 
which  fell  upon  everything  that  Spain  tried  to  do  in  the 
New  World.  Out  of  the  very  enthusiasm  of  the  mission- 
aries grew  the  enslavement  of  the  Indians. 

The  mission  era  from  1769  to  1834  divides  naturally 
into  two  periods.  The  first  covers  about  forty  years, 
from  the  foundation  to  the  early  part  of  the  next  century, 
somewhere  about  1810.  This  has  been  "called  the  "era  of 
calm "  ;  the  second,  from  near  the  first  of  the  century 
until  the  downfall  of  the  missions,  was  a  period  of  resist- 
ance. 

During  the  first  era  the  Indians  were  slowly  learning 
family  life,  obedience,  and  industry,  the  first  three  steps 
out  of  savagery.  They  were  often  punished  by  the 
priests,  there  were  many  runaways  and  some  uprisings  on 
the  part  of  the  Indians ;  but  none  of  these  difficulties 
seems  to  have  grown  out  of  hatred  toward  the  priests  or 
resistance  to  the  mission  life.  They  were  the  natural 
results  of  trying  to  teach  savages.  There  was  only  one 
serious  rebellion,  that  at  San  Diego  in  1775,  when  the 
mission  was  burned,  four  of  its  people  killed,  and  three 
wounded,  —  a  serious  loss  where  there  were  so  few  white 
people.  Ordinarily  life  passed  quietly  and  as  happily  as 
could  be  expected  for  missionaries  and  neophytes.  After 
the  first  two  or  three  years  of  struggling  for  a  beginning, 


The  Slavery  of  the  Missions  157 

the  number  of  Indians  who  came  into  the  missions  in- 
creased steadily.  There  were  marriages,  births,  and 
deaths,  pleasure  and  suffering,  joy  and  sadness,  very 
much  as  in  any  other  condition  of  life ;  and  the  missions 
grew  rapidly  in  wealth.  But  as  the  "  era  of  calm  "  drew 
near  its  close,  matters  changed  for  the  worse. 

Perhaps  this  change  was  due  to  the  fact  that  during  the 
first  period  the  priests  who  had  come  from  Mexico  when 
the  project  was  new,  were  still  at  work  among  the  Indians. 
Their  interests  in  the  Indians  were  many  and  genuine, 
and  they  treated  the  simple  natives  with  a  fatherly  affec- 
tion. In  the  second  period  the  Indians  had  sunk  into 
the  condition  of  slaves.  They  were  herded  to  their  work 
like  animals,  almost  anything  was  thought  good  enough 
for  their  food  and  clothing,  and  they  were  punished  fre- 
quently and  severely.  Several  new  priests  had  come  from 
Mexico  to  take  the  place  of  the  older  ones  who  had  died 
or  been  obliged  to  leave  California;  they  looked  with 
less  and  less  interest  on  the  stupid  neophytes,  until 
they  began  to  regard  them  as  made  only  to  do  the  work 
of  the  missions,  —  to  be  punished  if  they  did  not,  and  to 
be  caught  and  brought  back  if  they  tried  to  run  away 
from  their  hard  tasks.  It  is  not  strange,  perhaps,  that 
from  being  always  with  the  savages,  the  new  missionaries 
came  to  look  on  them  as  hopelessly  weak,  and  that  a 
species  of  slavery  became  established  in  every  mission, 
more  or  less  severe  according  to  the  nature  of  the  priests. 

In  this  second  period,  the  fatherly  punishments  of 
earlier  days  gave  way  to  those  given  less  sympathetically. 
There  was  more  frequent  use  of  the  stocks  and  of  leg 


The  Missions  of  Alta  California 


irons  for  runaways;  imprisonments  were  common.  Not 
a  day  passed  without  some  punishments,  and  usually  there 
were  many.  The  whippings  had  at  first  been  only  a  few 
lashes ;  but  as  years  passed,  the  floggings  became  very 

severe.  More  cruel 
whips  were  used;  men, 
and  in  some  cases 
women  also,  were 
whipped  in  public,  and 
their  cries  and  screams, 
together  with  the  sight 
of  their  sufferings,  wak- 
ened fear  and  hatred 
among  their  fellows.  It 
is  probable  that,  by  see- 
ing the  whip  used  every 
day,  the  missionaries 
had  become  hardened 
without  knowing  it,  and 
increased  the  number  of 
lashes  without  realizing 
how  much  they  were 
also  increasing  the  suf- 
ferings of  those  pun- 
ished. The  Indians,  under  this  harsh  treatment,  grew 
sullen,  restless,  and  dangerous.  Runaways  were  so  fre- 
quent that  it  became  a  common  practice  to  send  out  hunt- 
ing parties  to  bring  them  back.  These  were  usually  of 
soldiers,  but  trusted  Indians  were  also  used  to  hunt  out  the 
fugitives.  Punishments  for  runaways  were  made  more 


A  wood  carrier 


The  Slavery  of  the  Missions  159 

and  more  severe,  but  still  the  more  savage  as  well  as  the 
more  intelligent  Indians  would  take  the  risks  rather  than 
endure  life  at  the  missions.  Some  of  the  less  daring  spirits 
vented  their  hatred  in  attempts  to  poison  the  priests  or 
set  fire  to  the  mission  buildings.  Every  offense  of  this 
kind  tightened  the  bonds  of  the  Indians  and  widened  the 
breach  between  them  and  the  white  people.  The  missions 
were  not  succeeding  in  educating  citizens,  but  they  were 
stirring  up  the  spirit  of  opposition  and  revenge. 

These  conditions  became  a  scandal  to  the  church,  deeply 
regretted  by  all  priests  and  laymen  who  had  the  best 
interests  of  the  missions  at  heart.  As  De  Neve,  one  of 
the  early  governors  of  the  province,  said,  such  treatment 
could  not  elevate  the  Indians,  could  not  educate  their 
manliness.  From  1 794  to  1 800,  the  governor  of  the  Cali- 
fornias  was  Borica,  a  high-principled  man,  determined  in 
his  efforts  to  better  affairs  in  the  province.  He  proved 
himself  a  friend  to  the  Indians,  and  in  all  that  he  did  for 
them  he  was  ably  seconded  by  several  missionaries,  espe- 
cially by  Father  Fernandez.  Borica  insisted  that  the 
brutal  floggings  should  cease,  that  the  neophytes  should 
be  well  fed  and  clothed,  and  that  they  should  not  work  as 
hard  as  had  come  to  be  the  case.  While  he  was  gov- 
ernor the  Indians  received  better  treatment,  for  he  was 
known  to  be  earnest  in  his  demands ;  but  when  he 
returned  to  Mexico,  the  Indians  were  again  used  as  harshly 
as  before. 

During  the  second  period  of  mission  life  there  were 
many  outbreaks  on  the  part  of  the  Indians ;  and  the 
Spanish  Indian  fighter,  Moraga,  had  his  hands  full  in 


r6o  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

quelling  revolts  at  different  places  from  San  Diego  to  San 
Francisco.  In  1824  there  was  said  to  be  a  plot  to  kill  off 
all  the  white  people,  in  order  that  the  Indians  might  get 
back  the  right  to  their  land  and  to  their  own  liberty.  But 
all  the  risings  were  put  down  before  there  was  serious  injury 
to  any  mission.  The  Indians  found  expression  for  their 
hatred  in  other  ways,  more  secret  and  dangerous.  At 
Santa  Cruz  a  priest  was  murdered ;  once  or  twice  food  was 
poisoned ;  fear  and  suspicion  were  felt  at  all  the  missions. 
The  desperate  struggles  of  the  Indians  were  of  no  use ; 
but  interference  in  their  condition  was  coming  from  an- 
other direction.  The  government  of  Mexico  was  about  to 
secularize  the  missions. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  did  Spain  expect  the  fathers  to  do  for  the 
Indians  ?  What  three  difficulties  prevented  the  priests  from  doing  it  ? 
(See  text.)  Can  any  means  be  suggested  by  which  the  first  difficulty 
might  have  been  overcome?  the  second?  the  third? 

Why  were  the  fathers  unable  to  overcome  the  first  difficulty?  the 
second?  the  third? 

How  would  the  Indians  be  helped  toward  civilization  by  learning 
family  life?  obedience?  industry?  How  would  these  lessons  help  them 
to  become  good  citizens? 

Did  the  Spaniards  approve  of  the  way  in  which  the  Indians  were 
treated?  Did  the  church  approve?  did  all  the  priests?  did  the  gov- 
ernors? 

What  did  the  unhappy  life  of  the  Indians  lead  them  to  do?  What 
did  the  government  of  Mexico  decide  to  do  about  the  missions? 


CHAPTER   XVII 
SECULARIZATION 

FOR  more  than  sixty  years  the  missions  did  their  work, 
and  then,  like  a  gray-haired  old  man  whose  life  has  been 
spent,  they  passed  away.  Their  death  blow  came  to  them 
from  Mexico.  It  had  been  long  expected,  but  it  was  none 
the  less  unwelcome  to  the  missionaries.  This  end  of  the 
Spanish  missions  is  known  as  secularization ;  that  is,  giving 
over  to  the  state  what  had  belonged  to  the  church.  The 
missions  were  to  have  made  citizens  of  the  Indians ;  Mex- 
ico now  claimed  that  this  was  accomplished,  and  that  the 
Indians  should  no  longer  belong  to  the  church,  but  should 
be  given  over  to  the  state. 

The  priests  knew  that  the  Indians  were  far  from  ready 
to  take  care  of  themselves,  and  that  if  turned  over  to  the 
state,  all  the  work  and  wealth  of  the  missions  would  be 
lost.  How  much  reason  they  had  for  these  fears  a  few 
years  showed. 

Somewhere  about  1828  the  Indians  learned  of  the  plan. 
This  was  unfortunate,  for  the  Mexican  government  worked 
so  slowly  that  some  years  passed  without  changes,  and 
the  Indians  became  restless,  troublesome,  and  dangerous. 
They  would  not  obey  the  fathers.  In  some  cases  they 
refused  to  work.  Runaways  were  more  frequent,  and 

SPAN.    IN    SOUTHWEST — II         l6l 


1 62  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

large  numbers  of  horses  and  cattle  were  stolen  from  the 
mission  herds.  Some  of  the  more  intelligent  southern 
Indians  demanded  a  share  in  land  and  animals,  and  the 
right  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

In  1834  the  law  went  into  effect.  As  Mexico  intended 
that  the  Indians  should  support  themselves,  some  of  the 
mission  animals  were  divided  among  them.  The  priests 
had  always  claimed  that  the  land  belonged  to  the  Indians, 
and  that  the  church  held  it  in  trust  for  them.  So  they 
were  now  allowed  to  stay  on  the  mission  estates,  where  it 
was  the  plan  that  every  Indian  should  have  a  certain  por- 
tion of  good  land  given  him  for  raising  fruits  and  vege- 
tables. They  were  to  be  given  seeds  and  farming  tools, 
and  were  to  obey  the  orders  of  the  general  government  in 
Mexico  instead  of  those  of  the  priests.  The  missionaries 
were  still  to  teach  them  in  religious  matters,  but  in  all  else 
the  Indians  were  to  consider  themselves  free  from  the  men 
who  had  been  their  own  and  their  fathers'  masters  and 
leaders  in  even  the  smallest  details  of  life.  In  short,  small 
Indian  states  were  to  be  formed  at  every  mission. 

Perhaps  in  all  history  there  has  been  no  better  illustra- 
tion of  how  impossible  it  is  to  make  a  nation  suddenly. 
These  low,  brutish  natives  had  been  under  the  care  of  the 
priests  for  more  than  sixty  years.  Children  had  .grown  to 
manhood  in  the  shadow  of  the  missions ;  they  had  been 
taught  many  useful  crafts  ;  but  they  were  still  wholly 
unable  to  take  care  of  themselves.  As  soon  as  the  guid- 
ance of  the  priests  was  removed,  their  old  laziness  came 
back ;  only  a  few  could  plan  their  work  or  act  as  lead- 
ers; they  took  no  thought  of  the  future.  They  were 


Secularization  163 

far  from  ready  to  be  left  to  themselves,  as  Mexico  soon 
found  out. 

The  intention  of  the  government  was  good  enough  in 
itself ;  and  to  the  Mexicans,  several  hundred  miles  away, 
the  plan  looked  very  promising.  But  it  proved  to  be  the 
destruction  of  the  missions,  and  a  deathblow  to  the  little 
civilization  which  had  been  gained  by  the  Indians. 

For  some  years  the  missionaries  had  known  that  the  law 
must  surely  come.  Despairing  of  receiving  any  return  for  all 
their  time  and  labor,  they  determined  to  act  before  the  text 
of  the  law  could  reach  them  from  Mexico.  At  some  of  the 
missions,  a  slaughter  of  the  cattle  was  ordered,  or  the  right 
sold  to  some  outsider.  Only  the  hides  were  of  value,  and 
so  the  bodies  were  left  to  rot.  Around  the  wealthy  San 
Gabriel  mission  the  sight  was  especially  harrowing.  The 
ground  was  strewn  with  the  carcasses  of  animals,  and  for 
years  the  plains  for  miles  around  were  whitened  by  the 
bleaching  bones. 

Rapidly  the  missions  and  the  system  of  caring  for  the 
Indians  fell  into  ruin.  Some  of  the  priests  returned  to 
Mexico  or  Europe ;  the  Indians  jvvere  scattered,  the  ani- 
mals killed  or  taken  by  strangers  or  left  to  run  wild ; 
the  gardens  and  orchards  were  overrun  by  weeds  and 
underbrush,  and  thousands  of  acres  were  claimed  by  new- 
comers. A  description  of  San  Carlos  in  1840,  only  six 
years  after  secularization,  speaks  of  the  mission  as  de- 
serted. The  once  busy  courts  and  Indian  quarters  were 
overgrown  with  grass,  the  looms  were  silent,  the  shops 
were  closed,  the  once  open  doors  of  the  church  were 
locked,  and  only  a  few  Indian  huts  were  left  near  the 


164  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

group  of  now  gloomy  buildings.     Where  all  had  been  life 
and  action  there  was  only  solitude. 

The  last  event  in  the  history  of  the  missions  may  be 
said  to  have  occurred  in  1845.  Pio  Pico,  the  governor, 
issued  a  proclamation  which  was  intended  to  close  up  the 
affairs  of  the  missions  of  Alta  California.  Five  of  the 
missions  and  the  estates  belonging  to  them,  besides  parts 


Ruins  of  San  Fernando 

of  four  others,  were  to  be  sold ;  four  were  to  be  rented 
to  the  highest  bidders ;  the  remaining  six  were  also  to  be 
rented  as  soon  as  their  affairs  could  be  straightened  out 
legally. 

.The  missions  as  a  part  of  the  active  life  of  Alta  Cali- 
fornia were  dead.  They  passed  out  of  existence,  and  the 
streams  of  the  new  life  in  California  flowed  over  their 
ruins  with  hardly  a  ripple  to  tell  of  what  lay  beneath. 


Secularization 


165 


The   only  people   who   were   seriously  affected   by   their 
destruction  were  the  Indians. 

The  mission  Indians  seemed  to  dwindle  out  of  existence, 
to  melt  away  into  nothingness.  Where  there  had  been 
hundreds  and  even  thousands  of  neophytes,  they  were  soon 
to  be  counted  only  by  tens.  In  1839,  at  San  Luis  Rey, 
five  hundred  were  left;  at  San  Juan  Capistrano,  about 


Interior  of  ruins  of  San  Fernando 

eighty ,  in  each  case  about  an  eighth  of  the  former  num- 
ber. Similar  conditions  prevailed  at  all  the  missions. 
The  few  who  were  left  complained  bitterly  of  the  treat- 
ment given  them  by  the  officers  sent  out  by  the  govern- 
ment. They  said  that  they  were  crowded  off  the  best 
lands  of  the  old  mission  estates ;  food  was  rarely  given 
them  ;  and  they  were  in  such  rags  that  some  of  the  women 
had  been  obliged  to  make  and  wear  tule  skirts  like  those 
worn  by  the  savages.  They  were  flogged  for  every  little 


1 66  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

offense,  and  far  more  cruelly  than  in  the  days  of  mission 
life. 

Those  of  the  neophytes  who  stayed  near  the  missions, 
trying  to  adapt  themselves  to  the  new  life,  were  usually 
men  and  women  grown  old  under  the  call  of  the-  well- 
known  bells.  They  could  not  go  out  again  into  the  wild 
mountains  to  live  as  the  savages  of  their  own  race  must 
live ;  so,  in  their  poverty  and  helplessness,  they  lived  on 
near  the  old  homes,  or  hid  somewhere  away  from  the  curi- 
ous, unsympathetic  white  men.  Robbed  of  their  share 
of  the  horses  and  cattle,  deserted  by  the  younger  people, 
many  of  them  too  old  or  too  weak  to  work,  they  dragged 
out  the  remnant  of  their  wretched  lives. 

By  1845  the  condition  of  the  few  remaining  Indians  at 
all  the  missions  may  be  pictured  by  those  who  still  clung 
to  their  homes  at  San  Francisco  Dolores.  Eight  old 
Indians  were  then  living  there,  poor,  ragged,  hungry,  de- 
serted, too  old  to  work,  dependent  on  the  bits  of  charity 
that  occasionally  found  a  way  into  their  hands. 

Some  who  did  not  wish  either  to  stay  at  the  missions 
or  to  go  into  the  mountains  tried  to  take  part  in  the  life 
around  them.  Some  of  the  women  married  white  men. 
They  were  frequently  very  capable  both  at  home  and  in 
business,  and  a  few  of  them  entered  excellent  families. 
These  women  were  probably  the  happiest  of  their  race. 
Other  neophytes  became  servants  among  the  Spaniards  ; 
some  were  well  treated ;  some  were  kept  against  their 
wills,  having  foolishly  sold  themselves  to  a  year  or  more 
of  service  in  return  for  some  trifle  which  had  pleased  their 
fancy  for  a  moment.  Still  others  loitered  around  in  the 


Secularization  167 

towns  and  villages ;  there  they  were  liable  to  yield  to  the 
constant  temptation  of  gambling  and  drinking,  and  so  they 
sank  quickly  to  the  lowest  levels  of  society. 

Many  wandered  off  to  the  mountains  among  the  "  gen- 
tile "  Indians.  When  they  found  that  they  no  longer  had 
to  obey  the  missionaries,  their  old  laziness  reasserted  itself, 
and  with  it  came  a  delight  in  their  freedom.  The  officers 
of  the  government,  sent  to  take  care  of  them  for  a  time, 
remonstrated  because  they  would  not  plow  or  sow.  "  They 


"  Many  wandered  off  to  the  mountains" 

cried  as  with  one  voice,  '  We  are  free.     It  is  not  our  pleas- 
ure to  obey.     We  do  not  choose  to  work.' ' 

These  wanderers  killed  the  few  cattle  given  them  by  the 
state,  and  they  were  not  always  particular  to  spare  those 
which  belonged  to  others.  The  hides  were  sold,  and  the 


1 68  The  Missions  of  Alt  a  California 

flesh  eaten.  They  drove  off  the  horses  to  the  mountains, 
not  leaving  enough  for  the  few  Indians  who  stayed  around 
the  missions  to  cultivate  their  land.  Nothing  could  induce 
those  who  thus  went  away  to  return.  They  usually  took 
with  them  all  the  evil  habits  learned  from  the  white  peo- 
ple; for  it  is  a  pitiable  fact  that  when  savages  come  in 
contact  with  a  more  civilized  race  they  are  at  first  influ- 
enced most  strongly  by  the  vices  of  their  superiors. 

Such  Indians  as  these  were  a  constant  menace  to  the 
Spaniards  and  Americans.  They  stole  horses  and  cattle 
which  were  left  unguarded,  until  it  became  necessary  to 
send  out  parties  of  armed  men  to  hunt  them  down.  The 
taste  for  wine  and  brandy,  learned  among  the  Californians, 
made  them  quarrelsome  and  killed  off  many.  Very  differ- 
ent were  these  horse  thieves  and  marauders  from  the 
peaceful,  trusting  natives  who  had  welcomed  the  explorers 
when  they  first  came  to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific.  The 
coming  of  the  white  men  had  brought  destruction  to  the 
Indians. 

Lest  the  picture  be  thought  too  dark,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  many  of  the  Indians  of  to-day,  descendants, 
perhaps,  of  the  neophytes,  have  become  honest,  sturdy 
laborers,  showing  unmistakably  that  there  was  in  the  race 
an  ability  to  rise  above  the  condition  in  which  the  missions 
found  them  or  left  them.  The  missionaries,  also,  deserve 
much  credit.  We  may  blame  them  for  having  kept  the 
natives  in  a  dependent  state ;  but  in  the  end  we  must 
respect  the  priests  for  the  earnestness  of  their  lives  and 
efforts,  and  we  must  praise  them  for  the  wonders  which 
they  did  perform. 


Secularization  169 

Nevertheless,  the  few  ruinous  churches  and  the  heaps 
of  adobe  bricks  to  be  seen  here  and  there  in  California  are 
sad  reminders  of  a  failure.  The  priests  had  tried  to  hold 
the  country  for  Spain,  and  it  passed  into  the  hands  of 
strangers.  They  had  tried  to  convert  the  Indians  to 
Christianity,  and,  in  the  end,  only  a  few  kept  the  faith 
which  they  had  been  taught.  They  had  shown  the  igno- 
rant natives  how  to  clothe  themselves,  and  how  to  make 
everything  for  their  simple  needs ;  and  their  descendants 
went  back  into  the  wilderness,  where  they  were  glad  to 
accept  the  cast-off  garments  of  their  white  neighbors. 
The  priests  had  tried  to  teach  them  some  forms  of  civil- 
ized life,  and  when  the  mission  system  went  to  pieces,  the 
most  striking  traits  of  character  in  the  Indian's  nature 
were  thievery  and  drunkenness. 

With  the  desertion  of  the  Indians,  and  the  sailing  of  the 
fathers,  the  missions  were  given  over  to  decay.  The 
adobe  buildings  needed  constant  care,  and  when  left  to 
themselves  quickly  fell  to  pieces.  Here  and  there,  a 
crumbling  ruin  may  still  be  seen,  overlooking  the  valleys 
and  hills  where  once  its  grain  flourished  and  its  cattle 
pastured ;  but  the  gray  adobe  ruin  is  tottering  to  its  fall, 
like  a  conquered,  forgotten  monarch  who  failed  in  his 
efforts  to  wear  his  crown. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  life  was  planned  for  the  Indians  after  seculariza- 
tion? By  whom  was  this  plan  made  ?  How  did  it  agree  with  the 
intention  of  the  king  of  Spain  when  the  priests  first  came  to  California? 
Did  the  priests  think  that  secularization  would  be  carried  out?  What 
reasons  did  they  have  for  this  belief? 

Had  the  Indians  shown  any  progress  in  the  mission  life?  Do  you 
know  anything  about  the  present  condition  of  the  Indians  in  California? 


170  The  Missions  of  Alta  California 

LIST   OF   MISSIONS 

WITH    DATE    OF    FOUNDING 

In  the  early  period  of  mission  activity  nineteen  missions  were  founded  ; 
later,  two  more  were  established  north  of  San  Francisco  Bay,  something 
in  the  nature  of  outposts  against  the  Russians. 

San  Diego  .      '   .         .         .  June  16,  1769. 

San  Carlos        ;  >.-.      .         .  June  3,  1770. 

Removed  to  the  Carmel  River  in  1771. 

San  Antonio         .       ..'       .  July  14,  1771. 

San  Gabriel          .,    v  .         .  September  8,  1771. 

San  Luis  Obispo  .         .  September  i,  1772. 

San  Francisco  de  Assisi        .  October  9,  1776. 

Situated  at  San  Francisco. 

San  Juan  Capistrano    .         .  November  i,  1776. 

Santa  Clara          .'      .         .  January  1 8,  1777. 

San  Buenaventura        .  "       .  March  31,  1782. 

Santa  Barbara      .         .         .  December  4,  1786. 

La  Purisima  Concepcion       .  December  8,  1787. 

Santa  Cruz  .         .         .  August  28,  1791. 

Soledad       .     ;    ,   ,  .  October  9,  1791. 

San  Jose      .         .         .....,»..  June  18,  1797. 

San  Juan  Bautista        .         .  June  24,  1797. 

San  Miguel  .         .     *    .  July  25,  1797. 

San  Fernando      .         .         .  September  8,  1797. 

San  Luis  Rey       .         .         .  June  13,  1798. 

Santa  Inez  ....  September  17,  1804. 

San  Rafael  .         .         .  December  18,  1817. 

San  Francisco  de  Solano      .  August  25,  1823. 
Situated  at  Sonoma. 


IV.     SPANISH    CALIFORNIA 


CHAPTER   XVIII 
LIFE   IN  THE   PUEBLOS    AND   ON    THE   RANCHES 

THERE  were  three  kinds  of  homes  in  Spanish  Cali- 
fornia :  the  missions,  scattered  along  the  coast  from 
San  Diego  to  San  Francisco,  about  thirty  miles  apart ;  the 
pueblos,  or  villages, 
which  grew  up  around 
the  four  presidios  or  at 
the  settlements  made  by 
the  government  colo- 
nists ;  and  the  few 
ranches,  miles  in  extent, 
which  had  been  granted 
by  the  crown  to  aristo- 
cratic Spaniards  of  ex- 
Acorn  granaries  in  the  Yosemite  Valley 

cellent  families. 

Until  about  1828,  the  missions  were  the  most  important 
power  in  California.  They  owned  nearly  all  the  region 
from  the  ocean  back  to  the  Coast  Range  Mountains,  and 
as  they  claimed  that  the  property  of  one  mission  touched 
that  of  the  next,  several  included  in  their  estates  thirty  or 
forty  square  miles  of  territory.  The  fathers  said  that  all 
the  land  of  California  belonged  to  the  Indians,  and  that 

171 


172  Spanish  California 

the  church  was  holding  it  in  trust  for  them  until  they 
could  care  for  it  themselves ;  consequently  they  looked 
with  dislike  on  a  grant  of  land  to  any  one.  The  missions 
were  hives  of  industry,  where  lived  the  priests,  the  neo- 
phyte Indians,  a  few  Spanish  workmen,  and  from  two  to 
eight  soldiers,  to  serve  as  a  protection  in  case  of  trouble 
with  the  Indians. 

The  leading  pueblos  grew  up  around  the  four  presidios 
at  San  Diego,  Santa  Barbara,  Monterey,  and  San  Fran- 
cisco. Here  lived  most  of  the  soldiers  in  the  province, 
some  of  them  with  their  families ;  the  government  offi- 
cials, who  were  often  men  of  wealth  and  power;  some- 
times, also,  rancheros  whose  estates  were  not  far  distant. 
Smaller,  less  important  pueblos  were  those  made  by  the 
settlers  sent  out  by  the  government ;  such  were  the  begin- 
nings of  Los  Angeles  and  San  Jose.  The  colonists  were 
given  a  small  tract  of  land,  a  number  of  animals,  and  tools 
to  cultivate  the  soil.  For  five  years,  certain  supplies  and 
a  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  a  year  for  each  colonist,  were 
sent  from  Mexico.  Very  different  were  these  conditions 
from  those  under  which  the  English  on  the -Atlantic  coast 
were  struggling.  But  such  help  did  more  harm  than  good. 
Only  the  lower  classes  came,  attracted  by  the  offer  of 
government  aid.  Once  in  California,  there  was  little  need 
of  hard  work :  so  the  colonists  lived  a  life  of  idleness,  and 
were  a  hindrance  rather  than  a  development  to  the  prov- 
ince. They  often  intermarried  with  the  Indians,  and  there 
resulted  a  race  little  fitted  to  civilize  any  country. 

The  men  who  were  given  large  ranches  were  often  from 
the  best  families  of  Spain,  proud  of  their  blood,  proud  of 


Life  in  the  Pueblos  and  on  the  Ranches          173 

their  pure  Castilian  language,  proud  of  their  position 
among  the  first  families  of  the  New  World.  They  lived  on 
their  estates  almost  like  barons  of  the  Middle  Ages,  but 
there  were  too  few  of  them  to  give  character  to  the  popu- 
lation of  the  country.  Such  grants  were  few  in  number, 
partly  because  of  the  jealous  watchfulness  of  the  mission- 
aries and  their  claim  to  nearly  all  the  good  land  along 
the  coast,  and  partly  because  the  Spaniards  did  not  think 
it  worth  their  efforts  to  go  back  into  the  great  valleys  in 
the  interior  of  the  state. 

All  the  inhabitants  tried  to  live  as  they  had  lived  in 
Mexico,  and  years  passed  with  hardly  a  change  in  even  their 
ways  of  dressing.  There  was  more  wealth  at  the  missions 
than  anywhere  else,  but  of  course  life  there  was  very  simple. 
At  the  presidio  pueblos  there  was  considerable  luxury 
in  the  homes  of  the  officials  and  the  wealthy  rancheros ; 
but  the.  soldiers  were  always  poorly  paid  by  the  govern- 
ment, and  often  went  ragged  and  penniless.  The  colo- 
nist pueblos  were  for  years  shabby  villages,  for  the  settlers 
were  lazy  ne'er-do-wells,  who  would  have  starved  without 
the  nloney  sent  them  every  year  from  Mexico. 

Would  you  like  to  take  a  look  at  the  pueblo  of  Los 
Angeles  in  the  early  years  before  the  coming  of  the 
Americans,  when  it  was  as  dreamy  and  easy-going  as  any 
other  old  Spanish  town?  In  the  center  was  a  plaza,  an 
open  square,  where  much  of  the  business  of  the  village 
was  done.  Around  the  plaza  were  the  houses  of  the  first 
settlers,  and  on  one  side  were  the  public  buildings.  These 
were  a  guardhouse  for  the  soldiers,  a  town  house,  and  a 
public  granary.  The  buildings  were  of  adobe.  In  Los 


1 74  Spanish  California 

Angeles  they  were  left  their  original  mud  color,  but  in 
Monterey  they  were  whitewashed  and  the  roofs  were  of 
red  tile,  giving  the  place  a  very  pleasing  appearance.  On 
the  plains  back  of  the  houses,  horses  and  cattle  pastured 
until  they  became  such  a  nuisance  that  an  adobe  wall  was 
built  to  keep  them  out  of  the  pueblo. 

As  new  houses  were  needed  they  were  put  farther  back, 
for  all  the  space  immediately  around  the  plaza  was  taken. 
There  was  little  need  of  village  streets  in  those  days,  as 
there  were  no  wagons  and  everybody  rode  horseback. 
Each  man,  therefore,  put  his  house  where  he  pleased.  If 
it  happened  to  stand  across  one  of  the  bridle  paths,  no 
one  found  fault ;  the  riders  turned  out  and  went  around, 
and  in  time  a  new  path  was  made.  So  the  streets,  such 
as  they  were,  zigzagged  around  the  adobe  buildings. 

It  was  no  short  task  for  a  well-to-do  Californian  to  build 
his  roomy  home,  even  when  it  was  only  one  story  in 
height.  First  the  Indians  molded  the  clay  into  bricks 
about  eighteen  inches  square  by  two  or  three  inches  thick ; 
these  were  put  into  wooden  forms  and  left  in  the  sun  to 
bake.  When  one  side  was  thoroughly  hard  they  were 
turned  over  to  bake  on  the  other.  When  dry  they  were 
built  up  by  the  use  of  adobe  mortar  into  walls  two  or 
vthree  feet  thick,  and,  in  the  larger  houses,  the  partitions 
were  made  in  the  same  slow  way.  The  walls,  like  the 
bricks,  had  to  dry  thoroughly,  and  months  passed  before 
the  roof  of  tile  or  thatch  was  put  on  and  the  outside  of 
the  house  was  finished. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  make  the  inside  ready  for  its 
owners.  There  was  no  plastering,  and  little  wood  finish- 


Life  in  the  Pueblos  and  on  the  Ranches  175 

ing.  Often  no  windows  were  put  in,  no  doors  were  hung, 
no  floor  was  laid.  A  curtain  of  rawhide,  hung  over  a 
doorway,  was  enough  to  keep  out  the  cold ;  the  ground, 
beaten  hard  and  smooth,  was  the  usual  floor.  Many  of 
these  houses  are  still  to  be  seen  in  Southern  California, 
and,  fitted  up  more  comfortably,  are  lived  in  by  Amer- 
icans. 

The  wealthier  rancheros  had  floors,  wooden  shutters  or 
even   glass   for   the   windows,   doors,   and   rich   furniture 


House  of  a  wealthy  ranchero 

brought  from  Mexico  or  Spain.  We  read  of  sofas  and 
easy  chairs,  but  they  were  few  before  the  days  of  the 
Americans.  The  usual  furniture  of  the  living  room  con- 
sisted of  a  rough  table,  some  benches  around. the  walls, 
and  chairs  with  rawhide  seats.  The  bed,  too,  was  made 
of  a  rawhide,  which  was  said  to  possess  strange  powers  of 
healing  the  sick.  Stretched  tight  on  a  wooden  frame,  it 


i?6  Spanish  California 

was  comfortable  enough  for  any  one,  and  was  praised  even 
by  the  Americans.  Every  Spanish  housekeeper  was  proud 
of  her  beds,  and  white  spreads  and  lace-trimmed  pillow- 
cases were  often  seen  in  the  homes  of  the  poor  as  well  as 
of  the  rich. 

Considering  how  bare  the  houses  were  inside,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  Spaniards  lived  out  of  doors  the  most 
of  their  time.  Even  on  a  chilly  morning  the  easiest  and 
pleasantest  way  of  getting  warm  was  to  take  a  gallop 
across  the  hills,  for  the  rooms  were  either  entirely  with- 
out fire  or  were  slightly  heated  by  a  pan  of  coals  standing 
in  the  center  of  the  floor. 

The  pueblo  was  never  kept  clean.  There  were  no 
butcher  shops,  and  every  home  had  a  slaughter -yard  of  its 
own,  where  the  bones  of  cattle  lay  year  after  year.  Other 
refuse  was  every  where,  and  the  crows  came  in  such  numbers 
to  feed  on  it  that  the  town  council  of  Los  Angeles  finally 
offered  a  bounty  for  every  one  killed.  But  some  severe 
plague  might  have  fallen  on  the  village  if  the  crows  had 
not  acted  as  scavengers,  for  the  Spaniards  would  not  clean 
the  place  for  themselves. 

The  principal  pleasures  in  the  lives  of  these  simple, 
hospitable  people  were  to  have  friends  and  relatives  around 
them,  to  ride  a  good  horse,  to  feast,  and  to  dance.  After 
the  morning  services  at  church,  Sunday  was  given  over  to 
visiting  and  pleasure  making.  On  the  way  home  several 
families  often  stopped  for  dinner  at  the  home  of  one  of 
their  number.  The  men  lassoed  and  killed  a  calf,  the  women 
entered  the  kitchen  as  if  at  home,  and  prepared  a  meal  for 
the  whole  party. 


Life  in  the  Pueblos  and  on  the  Ranches          177 

There  was  always  meat  in  abundance ;  beans,  onions,  and 
peppers  were  plentiful,  although  as  a  rule  vegetables  were 
scarce  ;  grapes  and  other  fruits  were  raised  at  the  missions 
and  at  a  few  of  the  ranches.  Milk,  cheese,  and  butter  were 
luxuries ;  for  although  there  were  cattle  by  the  thousand, 
they  were  wild.  Some  of  the  missions,  however,  and 
occasionally  a  ranchero,  had  a  few  half-tamed  cows,  and 
butter  and  cheese  were  made.  To  milk  a  cow  was  a  great 
event,  which  the  whole  family  might  come  out  to  watch. 
Three  persons  were  necessary  for  the  operation.  The  cow's 
head  was  tied  securely  with  a  riata,  or  braided  rawhide, 
which  was  either  fastened  to  a  post  or  held  by  some  strong 
person.  The  hind  legs  were  tied  securely  with  another 
riata  and  held  by  a  second  man,  who  must  also  fight  off 
the  calf  if  it  tried  to  approach ;  the  third  person  did  the 
milking.  As  this  was  a  rare  occurrence,  there  were  no 
milk  pails  in  a  Spanish  household,  and  all  kinds  of  vessels 
had  to  be  brought  into  use,  including  teacups,  glasses,  and 
bowls.  Milk  was,  indeed,  a  luxury  in  California. 

On  all  great  occasions  there  was  a  dance,  or  fandango 
as  it  was  called,  in  one  of  the  homes  or  in  a  public  build- 
ing. Graceful  Spanish  dances  occupied  the  evening ;  or 
at  some  of  the  great  events  they  were  kept  up  for  several 
nights,  the  days  being  spent  in  getting  ready  for  more 
nights  of  revelry.  As  all  Californians  seem  to  have  been 
related,  and  as  horseback  riding  was  so  common,  no  one 
thought  anything  of  going  thirty  or  forty  miles  to  a  fan- 
dango at  the  home  of  some  relative. 

One  of  the  frolics  often  seen  in  connection  with  a  carni- 
val celebration  was  a  "  battle  with  the  eggs."  Eggs  were 

SPAN.    IN    SOUTHWEST — 12 


1 78  Spanish  California 

emptied  of  their  contents,  the  shells  partly  filled  with 
cologne  or  sweet-scented  water,  and  the  open  ends  sealed  up 
with  wax ;  sometimes  the  shells  were  filled  with  gold  or 
silver  paper  cut  into  tiny  pieces.  As  the  guests  arrived, 
or  during  the  evening,  they  were  pelted  with  the  shells, 
which,  as  they  broke,  showered  the  victim  with  perfumery 
or  scraps  of  glittering  paper.  The  fun  often  raged  so 
furiously  that,  when  the  eggs  gave  out,  a  stormy  water  fight 
followed  until  everybody  was  drenched.  This  part  of  the 
game  seems  to  have  been  confined  to  the  men,  the  ladies 
probably  escaping  when  the  rougher  amusement  began. 

Although  so  far  away  from  what  was  fashionable  life, 
the  Californians  were  fond  of  fine  dressing,  and  liked  to 
think  themselves  very  stylish.  Laces,  silks,  satins,  and 
velvets,  were  stored  away  .in  the  chests  that  were  a  part  of 
the  furniture  in  every  Spanish  home.  All  these  luxuries 
must  have  been  given  the  best  of  care,  for  we  read  of  the 
same  clothes  being  worn  for  three  generations ;  and  the 
grandson  was  as  proud  of  his  finery  as  the  grandfather 
had  been  when  it  was  new. 

This  is  the  way  one  Spanish  grandee  near  Los  Angeles 
appeared  to  an  American  early  in  the  nineteenth  century. 
His  vest  was  of  blue  damask,  his  shortclothes  of  crimson 
velvet ;  he  wore  a  beautifully  embroidered  shirt  and  white 
tie.  His  jacket  was  of  bright  green  cloth,  ornamented 
with  large  silver  buttons.  His  shoes  were  of  embroidered 
deerskin.  On  a  great  holiday,  when  this  gentleman 
appeared  in  his  very  best  clothes,  his  whole  suit  is  said  to 
have  cost  more  than  a  thousand  dollars.  On  ordinary 
occasions  a  gentleman  wore  a  short  jacket  of  silk  or  figured 


Life  in  the  Pueblos  and  on  the  Ranches          179 


material;  pantaloons  of  velveteen  or  broadcloth,  open 
below  the  knee  and  laced  with  gilt,  or  short  breeches  and 
white  stockings.  A  crimson  scarf  was  twisted  around  his 
waist.  The  botas;  a  kind  of  legging,  were  of  ornamented 
deerskin,  secured  by  bright-colored  silk  garters.  The 
shoes  were  embroidered.  The  hair  was  worn  long,  braided 
down  the  back,  and  tied  with  a  ribbon. 
Over  the  head  was  often  laid  a  black  silk 
handkerchief.  The  hat  was  a  broad  som- 
brero, with  which  all  Californians  of  to- 
day are  well  acquainted.  The  serape,  or 
cloak,  was  never  lacking;  indeed  it  often 
indicated  the  rank  of  its  owner.  It  was 
a  large,  square  blanket,  slit  in  the  middle 
for  passing  over  the  head.  Wealthy  men 
wore  costly  scrapes  of  broadcloth,  heavy 
with  velvet  and  other  trimmings,  while 
the  poorer  men  wore  cheap  cloaks  of  the 
coarse  woolen  cloth  woven  at  the  missions. 
The  ladies  also  enjoyed  bright  colors. 
The  muslin  skirt  was  often  flounced  with 
scarlet  and  fastened  at  the  waist  by  a 
broad  silk  band  of  the  same.  The  bodice  was  as  richly 
trimmed  with  lace  as  the  owner  could  afford.  The  shoes 
were  of  bright-colored  velvet,  satin,  or  kid.  No  lady's 
toilet  was  complete  without  a  reboso,  or  long  scarf, 
except  that  with  the  wealthier  classes  a  shawl  sometimes 
took  its  place.  The  reboso  was  worn  over  the  head  with 
that  peculiar  grace  for  which  the  Spanish  women  have 
long  been  noted.  Bonnets  and  hats  were  almost  unknown. 


A  Spanish  grandee 


180  Spanish  California 

Jewelry  was  greatly  admired,  and  nearly  every  woman 
managed  to  have  at  least  a  necklace  and  earrings.  The 
richer  ladies  had  fine  jewels,  which  they  kept  with  the 
greatest  care,  so  that  they  often  passed  from  mother  to 
daughter  through  several  generations.  '. 

Those  were  the  days  when  all  the  men  went  horseback, 
and  many  of  the  women  were  equally  expert  as  riders. 
Horses  always  stood  tied  before  the  adobe  buildings  ready 
for  use,  even  if  the  owner  were  going  only  a  few  yards 
from  his  house.  When  a  horse  began  to  look  thin  from 
too  constant  riding,  he  was  turned  out  to  pasture  and 
another  was  brought  in,  for  there  was  no  limit  to  the 
number  on  the  plains.  On  a  long  journey  several  were 
used ;  one  was  ridden  until  worn  out,  then  turned  loose, 
and  another  saddled  in  his  place.  Those  thus  left  be- 
hind were  often  gathered  up  on  the  return  trip.  Horses 
were  seldom  brushed  and  cared  for  in  any  way  except  for 
great  occasions ;  but  a  Spaniard  liked  a  good  horse  above 
everything  else,  and  there  seems  to  have  been  a  perfect 
understanding  between  the  man  and  his  animal. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  the  Californians  were  among  the 
best  riders  in  the  world,  for  a  boy  learned  to  ride  when  he 
was  little  more  than  a  baby,  and  spent  much  of  his  life 
on  a  horse's  back.  One  of  the  common  sights  around  a 
pueblo  was  a  horse,  with  two  or  three  children  on  its  back, 
tearing  across  the  country  at  a  full  gallop.  In  this  way 
a  child  learned  to  keep  his  seat  under  all  circumstances, 
and  to  be  perfect  master  of  his  animal.  As  soon  as  a  boy 
was  strong  enough,  he  went  out  and  lassoed  a  wild  colt. 
Putting  on  saddle  and  bridle,  he  mounted,  and  "  rode  the 


Life  in  the  Pueblos  and  on  the  Ranches          181 

horse  tame,"  that  is,  until  it  was  exhausted  and  could  be 
readily  managed. 

For  all  common  use  on  the  rancho,  the  saddle  and 
stirrups  were  of  the  heavy  Spanish  make  still  used  in 
some  parts  of  the  state.  The  pommel  was  high  and 
strongly  made,  to  take  the  resistance  in  lassoing  animals. 
The  stirrups  were  of  wood,  with  leather  aprons  to  protect 
the  feet  of,  the  rider  from  the  brush.  Spurs  were  always 
worn,  and  cruel  things  they  were,  with  their  four  or  five 
long  points,  dull  and  rusty.  The  sides  of  the  horses  were 
often  savagely  torn  by  them.  The  bridle  was  furnished 
with  a  large  bit,  like  those  still  sometimes  used  on  vicious 
horses ;  with  it  there  was  little  difficulty  in  controlling  the 
wildest  horse  that  had  once  been  ridden.  A  lasso,  or  riata, 
was  always  at  hand,  wound  on  the  pommel  o'f  the  saddle. 
It  was  of  braided  rawhide,  with  a  slipknot  at  the  end. 
Men  and  women  were  adepts  in  its  use,  and  their  feats 
of  catching  and  felling  animals  are  almost  beyond  belief. 

On  holidays  and  great  occasions  the  Californian  took 
the  greatest  pride  in  the  appearance  of  himself  and  his 
horse.  A  Spaniard,  who  a  few  years  ago  wrote  about 
the  fiestas  in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  says,  "  In 
those  days  the  people  always  rode  good  horses."  For 
any  special  occasion  they  chose  their  very  best.  These 
had  "satin  mouths  and  feet  that  barely  touched  the 
ground";  they  were  "light  of  limb";  their  eyes  were 
of  fire ;  they  were  "  devourers  of  miles  and  leagues,  tire- 
less, indomitable." 

Steed  and  rider  were  decked  in  splendid  trappings  for 
these  occasions.  The  black  or  red  saddle  was  of  beauti- 


1 82  Spanish  California 

fully  stamped  leather,  embroidered  with  silver  threads ; 
the  pommel  and  seat  were  edged  with  silver;  the  bridle 
and  reins  were  heavily  mounted  with  silver,  the  latter 
sometimes  being  made  of  filagree.  The  rider  wore  a 
short,  graceful  riding  jacket,  richly  trimmed  with  gold 
and  silver.  Garments  of  velvet  and  of  other  rich  mate- 
rial made  the  Californian  seem  like  a  knight  come  down 
from  the  days  of  chivalry.  The  prancing  horse  and  the 
brilliantly  dressed  rider  were  a  gorgeous  sight. 

Where  so  many  rode  horseback  there  was  little  need 
of  carriages.  Sometimes  a  priest  had  a  carreta,  as  the 
ox  cart  was  called ;  and  some  of  the  ladies  used  them  for 
going  to  church  or  on  the  frequent  pleasure  expeditions. 
But  they  were  usually  used  for  hauling  grain  or  goods. 

These  carts  were  very  rude  affairs.  The  wheels,  either 
two  or  four  in  number,  were  crosscuts  from  a  log.  A  hole 
was  bored  through  the  center  and  a  pole  run  through  for 
an  axle.  On  this  was  placed  a  rough  wooden  frame,  over 
the  sides  and  bottom  of  which  were  stretched  hides.  Cush- 
ions were  used  to  give  a  little  comfort  to  the  springless  cart. 
Two  oxen  were  yoked  to  the  carreta,  their  heads  being 
lashed  to  a  strong  stick  about  four  feet  long.  A  driver 
rode  on  a  horse  by  their  sides  to  manage  them.  These 
oxen  were  not  always  the  slow-going  animals  that  we 
think  them,  for  they  were  often  driven  at  a  gallop, 
rattling  over  the  rough  roads,  the  dust  flying  in  clouds, 
the  rude  wheels  creaking  and  screaming  until  they  could 
be  heard  a  mile  away. 

Rude  as  the  carretas  were  for  all  ordinary  occasions, 
there  were  times  when  they  seemed  almost  as  fine  as  the 


Life  in  the  Pueblos  and  on  the  Ranches          183 

prancing  steeds  ridden,  by  the  men.  For  the  fiestas 
they  were  covered  with  a  brilliant  canopy.  Sometimes 
this  was  a  gay  silk  bedspread,  worked  in ;  beautiful 
flowers ;  a  long  fringe  hung  down  the  sides  almost  to 
the  axle,  protecting  the  girls  and  women  from  the 
bright  rays  of  the  sun.  Or  lace  curtains,  Chinese  crepe, 


„ — P 


Going  to  church  in  a  carreta 

or  bright-colored  rebosos  were  used   as   canopies,  giving 
beauty  to  the  otherwise  rude  carriages. 

Few  of  the  Californians  could  either  read  or  write,  and 
there  were  not  many  books  in  the  whole  province.  The 
two  or  three  libraries  that  were  owned  by  some  of  the 
wealthier  and  better  educated  men  never  had  much 
effect  on  the  general  culture  of  the  province. 


1 84  Spanish  California 

Here  is  a  description  of  a  school  in  Monterey,  taken 
from  an  account  written  by  one  of  the  pupils  after 
he  had  become  a  man.  The  schoolroom  was  long  and 
narrow ;  a  dim  light  entered  through  a  few  small  windows ; 
the  floor  was  the  hard,  beaten  ground;  the  thick  adobe 
walls  kept  the  room  chilly  even  in  summer.  The  whole 
place  had  a  dirty,  dilapidated  appearance  which  must  have 
made  every  child  long  for  the  bright  sunshine,  the  pure  air, 
the  clear  blue  sky  out  of  doors. 

At  one  end  of  this  gloomy  room  was  a  platform  on 
which  was  a  table  covered  with  a  dingy  black  cloth. 
Here  sat  the  teacher,  the  center  of  all  the  life  and 
misery  of  the  school.  He  was  an  old  soldier,  too  nearly 
worn  out  to  serve  any  more,  but  thought  to  be  in  good 
enough  condition  to  teach  the  children  how  to  write  and 
to  say  their  catechism.  His  face  was  so  ill  tempered  that 
even  the  boldest  boys  looked  on  it  with  fear  and  trembling. 
Every  pupil  who  entered  walked  the  length  of  the  room 
and  kissed  the  master's  hand. 

The  writing  lesson  always  brought  tears  and  trouble. 
The  copy  was  set  by  the  master,  the  quill  pen  was  sharpj 
ened,  and  the  boy  began  his  unwelcome  task.  The  little 
fingers  were  more  skillful  in  throwing  a  toy  riata  or  in 
controlling  an  unruly  horse  than  in  guiding  an  awkward 
pen  over  blank  white  paper.  A  blot  was  sure  to  fall  on 
the  beginner's  sheet.  When  the  page  was  finished  it  was 
taken  to  the  master  for  inspection.  Then  the  unlucky 
child  who  had  let  fall  a  blot  trembled  and  held  back. 

"  Here  is  a  blot,  you  little  rascal,"  roared  the  fiery 
teacher. 


Life  in  the  Pueblos  and  on  the  Ranches          185 

"Pardon,  Senor  Maestro;  I  will  do  better  to-morrow." 

The  frown  and  ill  temper  on  the  master's  face  grew 
deeper. 

"  Hold  out  your  hand,  sir,"  was  the  only  answer. 

Either  the  blots  were  many,  or  the  old  soldier's  temper 
was  bad,  for  the  ferule  was  seldom  idle.  A  worse  instru- 
ment of  torture  lay  near  the  desk.  It  was  a  scourge  of 
rope  with  iron  points  on  the  ends.  Alas  for  the  child  who 
forgot  himself  so  far  as  to  laugh  aloud,  play  truant,  or 
spill  the  ink!  He  had  to  pay  the  penalty,  were  he  large 
or  small.  He  was  stretched  on  a  bench,  face  downwards, 
a  handkerchief  was  tied  over  his  mouth  as  a  gag,  and  the 
hempen  scourge  was  used  until  the  blood  ran  down  the 
little  back. 

It  is  no  wonder  that,  with  such  teaching  as  this,  the 
parents  as  well  as  the  children  were  willing  to  have 
the  vacations  longer  than  the  terms  of  school.  More  than 
one  year  passed  during  which  the  children  did  not  see  the 
inside  of  a  schoolroom,  and  one  vacation  lasted  fifteen 
years.  Several  of  the  governors  tried  to  keep  the  schools 
open,  and  to  force  parents  to  send  their  children,  but  there 
was  little  education  until  California  ceased  to  be  a  Mexican 
province.  Wealthy  men  sometimes  sent  their  sons  to 
Mexico  to  be  educated,  and  the  girls  picked  up  some 
learning  at  home.  Poor  people  either  sent  their  boys  to 
such  schools  as  the  one  just  described,  or  let  them  grow  up 
without  knowing  how  to  read  or  write.  This  was  one  of 
the  reasons  why  the  quick-witted  Americans  soon  had  the 
advantage  in  all  respects  when  they  came  to  California. 

Life  on  the  Spanish  ranches  was  idle  and  happy.     The 


1 86  Spanish  California 

men  did  not  do  more  than  a  month  of  really  hard  work  in 
the  whole  year ;  this  was  during  the  planting  and  harvest- 
ing of  their  grain.  Even  then  the  laborious  manual  work 
was  done  by  Indians,  who  were  hired  from  the  missions 
or  from  the  ranches  of  gentile  Indians.  It  is  true  that 
the  men  were  ready  at  any  time  to  mount  an  untamed 
horse,  to  lasso  wild  cattle,  or  to  fight  a  grizzly  bear.  But 
these  were  pleasures  which  might  be  enjoyed  at  any  time. 
The  Californians  knew  nothing  of  regular  daily  work  like 
that  to  which  Americans  are  accustomed.  This  is  another 
reason  why  they  disappeared  from  the  land  when  the 
Americans  came  in  large  numbers,  bringing  with  them 
their  busy,  energetic  ways. 

The  farming  tools  of  the  Californians  were  centuries 
behind  those  used  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  For  a  plow, 
they  used  the  crooked  limb  of  an  oak  tree,  sometimes 
tipping  it  with  a  piece  of  iron ;  a  small  tree  was  used  for 
a  pole,  to  which  oxen  were  harnessed  by  means  of  a  board 
lashed  to  the  horns.  With  this  machine  the  ground  was 
plowed,  or  scratched  over,  to  receive  the  grain.  The  seed 
was  scattered  broadcast  and  harrowed  in  by  dragging 
over  it  branches  of  trees.  With  even  this  rude  cultivation 
the  rich  soil  yielded  heavy  returns. 

When  the  grain  was  ready  to  harvest,  the  Indians  cut 
it  with  sickles,  and  carried  it  on  their  backs  to  a  corral  to 
be  thrashed.  It  was  spread  on  the  ground,  which  had 
been  pounded  until  it  was  smooth  and  hard,  and  a  drove 
of  wild  horses  was  let  into  the  corral.  The  straw  was 
turned  a  few  times,  and  the  horses  were  driven  about  until 
they  had  trampled  out  the  kernels ;  then  they  were  turned 


Life  in  tJte  Pueblos  and  on  tlie  Ranches          187 

out  and  the  straw  was  beaten  by  hand  with  heavy  sticks 
to  shake  out  any  remaining  heads,  or  these  were  rubbed 
out  by  the  Indians  in  their  hands.  The  straw  was  then 
taken  away,  leaving  the  grain,  chaff,  and  broken  bits  of 
straw  on  the  ground. 

The  breeze  was  now  set  to  work.     Some  windy  day  the 
mingled  straw  and  grain  were  thrown  up  into  the  air  by 


Grinding  corn 

means  of  heavy  wooden  forks,  the  straw  and  chaff  were 
blown  away,  and  the  grain  was  left  ready  to  be  ground 
into  flour.  The  whole  process  was  so  slow  and  difficult 
that,  although  grain  would  grow  almost  wild  on  the  hills 
and  plains,  flour  was  scarce  and  wheat  bread  was  dear. 
Before  the  Americans  came  there  were  only  the  rudest 
kinds  of  mills  in  the  country.  The  Spaniards,  like  the 
Indians,  used  a  mortar  and  pestle  for  grinding  out  the 
grain,  or  rubbed  it  into  flour  on  the  metate.  As  years 


1 88  Spanish  California 

passed,  a  sort  of  mill  was  made  by  placing  one  heavy 
stone  on  top  of  another.  The  upper  one  was  flattened  a 
little,  and  in  it  was  placed  an  iron  bolt,  by  means  of 
which  a  horse  or  mule  could  be  fastened  to  the  rude 
mill.  The  stone  turned  but  once  as  the  animal  walked 
around,  so  that  a  day's  hard  work  by  a  mule  would 
result  in  very  little  flour. 

The  Spaniards  greatly  enjoyed  taking  care  of  the  im- 
mense herds  of  cattle.  These  were  allowed  to  run  wild, 
almost  no  attention  being  given  them  except  to  kill  those 
needed  for  food.  Once  a  year,  however,  according  to  the 
Spanish  law,  all  the  cattle  were  rounded  up  to  be  stamped 
with  the  owner's  brand.  This  event  was  called  a  rodeo.  It 
was  a  great  occasion,  when  there  was  plenty  of  work  but 
also  endless  excitement.  All  the  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren of  the  neighborhood  were  present,  and  every  man 
was  obliged  by  law  to  give  all  the  help  necessary.  A 
feast  naturally  went  with  a  rodeo. 

The  first  thing  was  for  the  vaqueros,  or  cowboys,  to 
ride  over  the  thousands  of  acres  that  belonged  to  a 
rancher  and  drive  in  the  cattle.  There  were  those  of 
preceding  years,  stamped  at  some  earlier  rodeo ;  there 
were  calves  that  were  to  be  freshly  branded ;  and  there 
were  other  animals  from  adjoining  ranches  or  from  some 
mission  a  few  miles  away.  These  straggling  cattle  were 
driven  out  separately,  and  as  the  brands  were  recog- 
nized, were  claimed  by  their  owners  who  were  probably 
present.  The  skill  of  the  riders  and  of  their  horses  was 
shown  in  "  bunching  "  or  cutting  out  a  small  band  of  cattle 
from  the  pushing,  crowding,  frightened  mass  of  animals, 


Life  in  the  Pueblos  and  on  the  Ranches          189 

and  in  driving  them  into  the  corral.  This  corral,  or  in- 
closure,  was  made  of  strong  posts  set  close  together,  with 
a  narrow  opening  through  which  the  cattle  were  driven  in, 
and  out  of  which  they  raced  when  the  branding  was  at  an 
end.  As  soon  as  the  corral  was  emptied,  another  band 
was  driven  in,  branded,  and  set  free  for  another  year. 
This  was  continued  until  all  the  cattle  owned  by  any  ran- 
chero  had  been  branded. 

All  these  thousands  of  cattle  were  kept  for  the  value  of 
their  hides  and  tallow,  which  were  sold  to  the  traders  who 
occasionally  came  to  the  coast.  The  traders  came  so 
seldom,  however,  that  the  hides  were  worth  very  little 
money,  from  a  dollar  and  a  half  to  two  dollars  each ;  con- 
sequently the  large  herds  were  not  as  valuable  as  might 
be  supposed.  The  hides  were  used  so  frequently  in  pay- 
ing debts  that  they  were  called  by  the  American  sailors 
"  California  bank  notes." 

A  matanza  was  another  busy  time*  for  the  Spaniards. 
This  was  the  butchering  or  killing  of  the  cattle  for  their 
hides.  A  large  corral  was  made  into  which  hundreds  of 
cattle  were  driven.  The  major-domo,  or  general  manager 
of  the  ranch,  and  several  vaqueros,  mounted  on  their  finest 
horses,  stood  near  the  entrance.  The  major-domo  pointed 
out  an  animal  that  was  to  be  killed ;  a  lasso  thrown  by  a 
vaquero  caught  him  on  the  horns ;  a  second  lasso  caught 
his  hind  feet,  throwing  him  heavily  to  the  ground.  A 
moment  more  and  he  was  killed  and  dragged  to  one  side. 
Sometimes  it  happened  that  one  of  the  animals  escaped 
from  the  corral ;  then  away  dashed  some  of  the  vaqueros 
after  him,  swinging  their  lassos  over  their  heads  as  they 


Spanish  California 

approached.  Rarely  did  even  a  maddened  bull  save  him- 
self from  the  swinging  lasso,  but,  tripped  and  thrown,  he, 
too,  was  dragged  to  the  slaughter. 

In  years  when  little  rain  fell  and  the  hills  turned  brown 
in  the  early  spring,  there  was  not  enough  feed  for  all  the 
animals.  Then  many  of  the  older  and  less  valuable  stock 
were  killed,  so  that  the  rest  might  have  enough  to  eat. 
In  such  cases,  the  hides  were  taken  off  and  the  carcasses 
left  to  rot. 

Wild-horse  rodeos  were  frequent.  The  horses  increased 
in  number  so  rapidly  that  they  ate  up  the  grass  needed 
for  the  more  useful  animals  ;  so  rodeos  were  held  for  kill- 
ing off  the  poorest  ones  and  taking  home  the  best  to  be 
tamed  on  the  ranches. 

So,  with  little  change  from  year  to  year,  time  passed 
with  the  Spanish  Californians,  until  the  Americans  came 
to  the  Pacific  slope  and  moved  life  forward  in  some  re- 
spects by  centuries. 

QUESTIONS.  —  Of  the  three  kinds  of  homes  mentioned  which  was  the 
first  to  be  formed?  On  what  did  the  priests  lay  their  claim  to  hold  so 
much  good  land  for  the  missions?  To  what  class  of  people  were  large 
estates  given  by  the  king  of  Spain?  What  other  class  of  people  came 
slowly  to  California? 

Where  were  the  principal  towns  of  Spanish  California?  Why  was 
there  such  a  difference  between  the  presidio  pueblos  and  the  colonist 
pueblos  ? 

Why  did  the  luxury-loving  Spaniards  live  in  such  bare  houses?  How 
did  they  manage  to  dress  so  well  ?  How  did  they  become  such  expert 
horsemen?  Why  did  they  not  use  more  carriages?  Why  were  they  so 
old-fashioned  in  ranching? 

Give  five  or  more  characteristics  of  the  Spaniards. 


CHAPTER   XIX 
FOREIGNERS   ON   THE   PACIFIC   COAST 

SPAIN  wanted  no  foreigners  in  her  provinces.  She  had 
run  a  race  with  England  and  France  in  getting  possession 
of  the  Pacific  coast,  and  she  was  especially  desirous  that 
there  should  be  no  chance  to  take  this  part  of  her  empire 
away.  As  early  as  1 794  a  royal  order  was  made  prohibit- 
ing foreign  vessels  from  stopping  in  California  unless  they 
were  in  distress  or  needed  supplies.  But  in  spite  of  this 
decree,  a  few  English  and  American  ships  came,  tempted 
by  valuable  otter  skins,  which  were  found  in  some  parts 
of  the  country,  especially  in  San  Francisco  Bay. 

The  Americans  built  up  a  paying  trade  by  bringing 
to  California  manufactured  articles  which  were  in  great 
demand  at  the  missions  and  ranches,  exchanging  them  for 
a  load  of  otter  skins  which  were  wanted  in  China,  and 
returning  to  New  England  loaded  with  the  products  of  the 
Orient.  But  such  trade  in  California  was  contraband  and 
attended  by  great  risks. 

In  1803  the  Lelia  Byrd,  an  American  vessel,  entered 
San  Diego  harbor.  The  captain  said  that  he  was  in  need 
of  fresh  water  and  other  supplies,  but  the  commandante 
was  watchful  and  suspicious.  The  latter  visited  the  ship 
and  having  satisfied  himself  that  the  supplies  were  needed, 

191 


1 92  Spanish  California 

he  allowed  them  to  be  taken  on  board.  It  was  soon  dis- 
covered that  the  captain  wanted  some  otter  skins,  about 
a  thousand  in  all,  which  he  knew  were  stored  at  the  fort. 
The  commandante  steadily  refused  to  take  any  part  in 
forbidden  trade,  no  matter  how  much  money  it  might 
bring  him.  The  captain  tried  the  soldiers  who  also  had 
a  few  otter  skins.  Some  men  were  sent  on  shore  by  the 
captain  the  last  night  of  his  stay  in  the  harbor,  to  trade  with 
some  of  the  soldiers;  they  were  seized  by  the  watchful 
commandante  and  held  as  prisoners.  In  the  morning  the 
captain  daringly  released  his  men,  and  immediately  set  sail 
to  escape  from  the  harbor.  The  ship  was  fired  upon  from 
the  fort.  A  blank  cartridge  did  not  frighten  the  Yankee ; 
a  ball  before  the  bows  of  his  ship  was  unheeded ;  passing 
in  front  of  the  fort,  several  shots  damaged  the  sails  and 
rigging,  and  the  hull  was  struck  above  the  water  line.  In 
return  two  broadsides  from  the  vessel  were  fired  at  the  fort. 

The  Spanish  shots  did  not  stop  the  Lelia,  but  they  did 
serve  as  a  warning  to  other  vessels  also  in  the  contraband 
trade.  For  some  time  San  Diego  was  given  a  clear  field, 
and  commerce  went  to  the  towns  farther  north. 

Not  all  the  vessels  which  came  to  California  were  as  peace- 
able as  the  traders.  In  1816  there  was  great  excitement  all 
along  the  Pacific  coast.  The  South  American  provinces  were 
in  revolt  against  Spain  and  were  in  the  act  of  setting  up 
republican  governments  of  their  own.  Their  privateers 
were  on  the  sea  looking  for  Spanish  vessels  and  plunder- 
ing the  colonies  which  had  remained  loyal  to  the  mother 
country. 

Word  was  sent  all  along  the  California  coast  to  be  on 


Foreigners  on  the  Pacific  Coast  193 

0 

the  watch  for  Bouchard,  the  leader  of  the  Buenos  Ayres 
"  pirates,"  as  they  were  called ;  but  two  years  passed  before 
his  vessel  sailed  into  Monterey  harbor.  Aboard  of  his 
two  small  ships  were  about  five  hundred  men  and  sixty-six 
guns,  while  Governor  Sola  at  Monterey  had  only  fifty-five 
men  and  eight  poor  cannon  with  which  to  meet  them. 
After  a  brave  defense  Monterey  surrendered.  The  town 
was  burned,  only  the  adobe  walls  of  the  houses  being  left 
standing.  Not  finding  rich  plunder,  Bouchard  sailed  south. 
The  rancho  del  Refugio  near  Santa  Barbara,  belonging  to 
the  wealthy  Ortega  family,  was  visited  and  everything 
that  would  burn  was  set  on  fire.  The  vessels  stopped  at 
Santa  Barbara,  but  under  a  flag  of  truce,  to  get  possession 
of  two  prisoners  who  had  been  taken  at  Refugio.  San 
Juan  Capistrano  mission  was  visited.  Then  Bouchard  dis- 
appeared from  the  coast,  disappointed  in  the  hopes  which 
had  brought  him  to  California.  The  province  had  remained 
loyal  to  Spain,  and  the  pirates  had  found  none  of  the 
immense  treasures  which  they  had  been  told  were  at  the 
missions.  One  of  the  unfortunate  results  of  Bouchard's 
attack  was  that  foreigners  were  looked  on  with  more 
disfavor  than  before,  if  that  were  possible. 

When,  in  1822,  Mexico  declared  itself  free  from  Spain, 
there  was  no  change  in  the  attitude  toward  foreigners. 
Laws  and  regulations  were  made  still  more  stringent  in 
the  effort  to  keep  them  out.  Mexico  was  too  busy  in  the 
various  rebellions  within  her  own  boundaries  to  give  Cal- 
ifornia anything  but  laws  and  bad  government,  and  no  one 
realized  that  the  selfish  policies  against  trade  and  foreign- 
ers were  driving  the  province  to  desperation. 

SPAN.   IN   SOUTHWEST — 13 


194  Spanish  California 

For  some  years  the  government  supply  vessels  had  not 
been  fitted  out  by  Mexico,  and  in  order  to  buy  anything 
not  produced  at  home,  the  Californians  were  forced  into 
contraband  trade  with  the  vessels  which  occasionally  came 
into  their  harbors.  Some  Russians  traded  with  the  country 
around  San  Francisco,  and  even  made  a  settlement  near 
Bodega  Bay ;  but  the  people  who  gradually  won  the  prin- 
cipal business  with  the  province  were  the  Americans. 
They  studied  the  needs  of  their  customers  and  tried  to 
supply  them. 

Even  the  officials,  seeing  the  necessity  of  the  province, 
were  slow  to  enforce  the  laws  about  keeping  vessels  out 
of  the  harbors.  The  people  had  to  have  clothes  and 
shoes  to  wear  aside  from  the  coarse  products  of  the  mis- 
sions. Knives  and  other  cutlery  were  a  necessity.  Tea, 
coffee,  sugar,  and  rice  were  wanted.  If  necessities  were 
bought,  such  luxuries  as  velvets,  silks,  and  satins,  could 
not  be  forbidden.  The  Americans  supplied  all  these  goods 
at  what  the  Californians  thought  reasonable  prices,  and 
they  were  welcomed  on  the  coast. 

These  conditions  led  to  a  different  attitude  toward 
foreigners.  They  were  readily  received  in  the  towns,  and 
from  about  1823  they  became  a  recognized  part  of  the  life 
in  California.  In  1823  the  schooner  Rover  entered  Mon- 
terey harbor,  having  on  board  the  owner  and  captain,  John 
Rogers  Cooper.  Cooper  went  directly  to  the  governor, 
asked  permission  to  trade,  and  offered  to  pay  the  duties 
on  his  goods.  In  spite  of  the  restrictive  Mexican  laws,  the 
governor,  Arguello,  thought  of  the  needs  of  the  people  and 
consented.  The  Californians  were  delighted,  and  from 


Foreigners  on  the  Pacific  Coast 


195 


that  time  the  American  trade  was  on  a  basis  that  grew 
surer  as  the  years  passed.  From  1831-1846  it  increased 
rapidly.  Large  companies  were  formed  in  the  Eastern 
states  to  trade  with  California.  Agents  were  placed  in  the 
different  cities  on  the  coast  to  study  the  needs  of  the  peo- 
ple, to  get  acquainted  with  the  .customs,  and  to  serve  the 
Eastern  companies  in  every  way  possible.  The  vessels 


A  trader  in  port 

which  carried  goods  around  the  Horn  returned  loaded  with 
hides,  tallow,  and  a  few  furs,  the  only  exports  of  the  land. 
As  there  were  no  stores  in  California  in  those  days,  all 
goods  were  bought  directly  from  the  ships.  In  his  book, 
"Two  Years  before  the  Mast,"  R.  H.  Dana,  Jr.,  has  given 
a  description  of  the  arrival  of  a  ship  at  San  Pedro  and  the 
sale  of  goods  to  the  people  of  Los  Angeles, 


196  Spanish  California 

Whenever  a  vessel  appeared  there  was  great  excitement. 
The  news  spread  rapidly,  and  people  from  all  the  country 
were  soon  at  the  beach  or  on  the  way  to  it.  Cattle  were 
hurriedly  driven  to  the  shore,  for  the  sailors,  having 
eaten  only  salt  meat  for  months,  always  made  a  brisk 
demand  for  fresh  beef.  Hides  and  tallow  were  brought 
in  the  rude,  groaning  ox  carts.  Many  of  the  people  did. 
not  intend  returning  home  until  their  trading  was  done, 
and  *so  at  night  camp  fires  lighted  up  the  shore,  and  by 
day  the  plain  was  alive  with  horsemen  galloping  in  all 
directions  according  to  the  pleasure  or  business  of  the 
moment. 

On  board  ship  the  decks  had  been  cleared  and  an  office 
opened,  so  that  the  goods  could  be  shown  to  better  advan- 
tage. Men,  women,  and  children  crowded  the  decks  to 
get  a  look  at  the  coveted  articles.  The  boys  and  young 
men  wanted  knives ;  the  girls  were  on  the  lookout  for 
satin  ribbons;  the  Indians  bought  handkerchiefs  and 
beads ;  the  older  members  of  the  family  laid  in  a  supply 
of  clothing,  shoes,  rice,  sugar,  to  last  until  the  coming  of 
another  ship,  perhaps  months  later. 

The  American  merchants  had  studied  the  trade  care- 
fully and  knew  just  what  kind  of  goods  would  be  bought 
by  the  Californians.  There  were  cotton  cloths,  velvets, 
silks,  shoes,  and  rich  clothing  for  men  and  women.  There 
were  brandies,  wines,  tea,  rice,  sugar,  in  large  quantities. 
So  shiftless  were  the  Spaniards,  and  so  dependent  had 
they  become  on  the  "  Yankee  trader,"  that,  as  Dana  says, 
"They  had  grapes  and  paid  high  prices  for  Boston  wines. 
They  had  hides  and  paid  exorbitantly  for  shoes  that  had 


Foreigners  on  the  Pacific  Coast  197 

been  made  out  of  California  leather  that  had  been  twice 
around  the  Horn." 

The  Spaniards  had  little  curiosity  about  the  country 
around  them.  They  seemed  to  think  that  the  great  country 
to  the  east  was  impassable,  and  that  the  only  way  for  the 
Americans  to  reach  California  was  by  water.  Conse- 
quently, they  were  amazed  when,  one  day  in  1826,  there 
came  from  the  east  to  San  Gabriel  mission  a  party  of 
Americans. 

The  story  of  their  appearance  was  really  very  simple. 
Jedediah  S.  Smith  was  the  leader  of  about  fifteen  trappers 
with  whom  he  was  hunting  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains.     He  had  come  from  his  head- 
quarters at  Salt  Lake,  and  had  struck  the 
old  Santa  Fe  trail  at  a  time  when  he  was 
•nearly  dying  of   thirst  and  hunger  in  the 
deserts.     As  he  was  nearer  San  Gabriel 
than     Salt    Lake,    he    made    his    way 
thither,   guided    by    an    Indian.       He    was 
not  very  well   received.     This  was    a   new 
kind  of  an  American.     He  did  not  intend 
staying  in  California,  he  had  not  come  to    .  '^mir^fm 
trade,  and  he  was  accompanied  by  a  band     ^JiBBLM 
of  savage-looking,  well-armed  men.      Alto- 
gether the  party  was  so  unwelcome  to  the 
Mexican  officials  that  the  governor  ordered 

Smith    to   hurry  on    out   of   the   province.         An  American 

.  'trapper 

This  was  not  so  easy  as  it  seemed  to  the 

Californians.     It  was  more  than  a  year  before  Smith  could 
get  together  the  supplies  needed  to  continue  his  trapping 


198  Spanish  California 

expedition.  Long  before  that  time  had  passed,  the  patience 
of  the  Californians  was  exhausted  and  their  fears  awak- 
ened. At  last  they  would  not  wait  for  Smith  to  complete 
his  arrangements,  but  forced  him  out  of  the  country  alone, 
leaving  behind  his  faithful  companions.  The  leader  was 
probably  killed  by  the  Indians,  for  he  was  not  heard  of 
afterwards,  and  in  his  unprotected  state  he  would  have 
fallen  an  easy  prey  to  the  savages. 

Such  treatment  of  Smith  and  similar  usage  that  was 
given  other  parties  of  Americans  who  came  overland  into 
California  could  not  keep  out  the  pioneers.  Smith,  the 
first  in  that  great  army,  has  been  called  the  "  Pathfinder  of 
the  Sierras."  Other  hunters  and  trappers  like  him  con- 
tinued to  open  the  way.  They  were  followed  by  traders 
through  New  Mexico  over  the  old  Santa  Fe  trail.  Later, 
came  families  in  the  great  covered  wagons,  or  prairie 
schooners  as  they  were  called,  in  ever  increasing  numbers, 
until  there  was  reason  for  the  fear  that  Americans  would 
get  possession  of  the  country  by  simple  weight  of  popula- 
tion. 

Once  in  California,  the  foreigners  took  a  leading  part  in 
all  the  business  of  the  province.  They  made  themselves 
respected  and  even  feared,  until  they  could  no  longer  be 
treated  like  Jedediah  S.  Smith.  In  the  revolutions  that 
were  of  such  frequent  occurrence  from  1830  to  1846,  both 
sides  were  eager  to  have  the  assistance  of  the  Americans, 
who  were  skilled  marksmen,  quick-witted  in  all  arrange- 
ments and  cool  and  determined  in  all  their  plans. 

Many  of  the  men  who  came  during  these  years  mar- 
ried Spanish  girls.  Some  of  them  obtained  large  tracts 


Foreigners  on  tJie  Pacific  Coast  199 

of  land  from  the  Mexican  government.  Occasionally  a 
name  was  changed  from  its  original  language  into  Span- 
ish, as  Robert  Livermore  became  Juan  Bautista  Roberto 
Livermore.  These  men  passed  almost  completely  into 
the  easy-going  life  around  them. 

The  Americans,  Englishmen,  Scotchmen,  were  better 
business  managers  than  the  Californians.  The  latter 
despised  business,  and  the  only  work  that  they  would  do 
was  on  their  great  ranches.  All  the  trade  of  the  coun- 
try, therefore,  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  foreigners. 
As  there  was  plenty  of  money  to  be  made  in  it,  many 
became  very  wealthy,  winning  for  themselves  by  their 
enterprise  a  place  in  the  business  and  social  life  around 
them. 

The  California  women  looked  favorably  on  the  for- 
eigners, who  usually  made  more  desirable  husbands  than 
the  indolent  Spaniards.  They  were  better  managers  of 
property,  did  more  of  the  hard  work  themselves  instead 
of  leaving  it  to  the  women,  were  kinder  to  their  wives 
and  families.  As  a  result,  it  was  not  difficult  for  the 
agreeable  men  among  them  to  find  wives  among  the 
daughters  of  the  best  Spanish  families.  In  the  course 
of  years  the  younger  Spaniards  grew  jealous  of  their 
dangerous  rivals  in  love  and  in  business,  and  would 
gladly  have  turned  them  out  of  the  country ;  but  by  the 
time  that  this  feeling  made  itself  known  the  foreigners 
were  too  strong  to  be  driven  out,  and  too  necessary  to 
be  spared. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  all  the  Americans  who 
came  were  desirable  people.  Many  were  dissipated,  some 


2OO  Spanish  California 

were  dishonest  and  quarrelsome.  But  all  brought  among 
the  Spaniards  a  new  spirit,  that  of  restlessness  and 
of  the  energy  which  the  Spaniards  had  never  liked  nor 
possessed.  They  were  face  to  face  with  all  the  traits 
of  the  Anglo-Saxon  which  had  led  him  to  conquer  the 
Indians  and  the  wilderness  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  With- 
out fully  realizing  all  the  danger  to  themselves  and  to  their 
quiet,  idyllic  life,  the  Spaniards  were  troubled  and  uncer- 
tain about  the  future.  Well  they  might  be,  for  not  twenty- 
five  years  after  they  had  forced  Smith  out  of  their  country 
the  whole  coast  was  to  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  men  who 
followed  him  over  the  snowy  crests  of  the  Sierras. 

QUESTIONS.  —  What  reason  did  Spain  have  for  wishing  foreigners  to 
keep  away  from  her  American  provinces?  What  was  the  long  voyage 
taken  by  the  first  American  ships  that  came  to  California  ports  to  trade? 
Why  did  trading  vessels  get  into  trouble  with  the  Spanish  officials? 
What  two  reasons  brought  pirate  vessels  to  the  Pacific  coast?  Why 
did  such  vessels  go  to  the  Pacific  rather  than  to  the  Atlantic  coast? 
Why  were  the  Californians  glad  to  have  trading  vessels  visit  their 
ports?  Why  did  the  officials  object? 

,  Why  was  Jedediah  S.  Smith  hunted  out  of  California?  What  does 
this  show  about  the  feelings  of  Spanish  officials  toward  Americans?  By 
what  two  routes  were  Americans  now  coming  into  California?  What 
kind  of  people  came  each  way?  Which  class  of  immigrants  seemed 
most  dangerous  to  the  Californians?  Why?  Which  entered  most 
easily  into  Californian  life?  What  danger  was  there  to  the  Spanish 
life  in  California  from  the  presence  of  Americans? 


CHAPTER   XX 
SPANISH  GOVERNORS   OF  CALIFORNIA 

A  SPANISH  province  was  governed  by  a  royal  governor 
sent  out  from  Spain  or,  in  the  case  of  the  North  American 
provinces,  from  Mexico.  He  might  be  chosen  because  of 
his  fitness  for  the  high  position ;  or  because  he  had  been 
an  officer  in  the  army  and  was  to  be  rewarded  for  his 
services  to  his  country;  or,  perhaps,  because  he  was  a 
man  who  had  become  disagreeable,  or  dangerous  to  the 
home  government,  and  while  he  was  too  powerful  to  be 
offended,  he  was  to  be  buried,  as  it  were,  for  a  time  in 
some  distant  land.  A  governor  was  an  almost  absolute 
ruler  in  his  little  kingdom,  for  he  always  ha.d  at  hand  a 
number  of  soldiers  to  do  his  bidding.  The  soldiers  were 
under  a  leader,  called  a  commandante,  but  the  comman- 
dante  usually  obeyed  the  orders  of  the  governor. 

Caspar  de  Portola  was  the  first  governor  of  the  Cali- 
fornias.  It  will  be  remembered  that  he  had  charge  of 
the  second  land  expedition  to  San  Diego,  when  the 
priests  started  out  to  establish  the  missions  in  1769. 
There  is  but  little  recorded  about  Governor  Portola,  but 
that  little  is  so  kindly  and  cheery  that  we  feel  disap- 
pointed in  not  knowing  him  better.  His  life  reminds  us 
of  one  of  the  proverbs  in  history,  that  those  years  are 

201 


2O2  Spanish  California 

happiest  about  which  the  least  is  said.  History  has  for 
him  no  long  memorials,  but  while  he  was  in  California 
there  were  no  quarrels,  no  hard  feelings,  no  jealousies, 
worth  mentioning.  Matters  moved  along  quietly  and 
always  toward  the  goal  for  which  the  government  and 
the  church  were  striving.  When  Portola  left,  troubles 
began.  Surely  he  must  have  harmonized  men  and  affairs, 
or  the  years  would  not  have  been  so  peaceful. 

The  next  important  governor  was  the  seventh  He  was 
Diego  de  Borica,  who  arrived  in  the  province  in  1793. 
His  is  a  name  over  which  one  likes  to  linger.  Descended 
from  an  old,  aristocratic  Spanish  family,  he  never  lost  the 
courteous  manner,  the  high  chivalry,  the  refined  daily  life, 
which  were  his  by  inheritance  and  education.  He  pos- 
sessed also  a  remarkable  capacity  for  hard  work ;  a  broad, 
just  mind ;  and  a  sympathetic  understanding  of  the  coun- 
tries in  which  he  lived  and  worked.  It  was  one  of  the 
blessings  for  early  California  that  for  five  years  Diego 
de  Borica  was  its  governor. 

When  news  of  his  appointment  came,  Borica  broke  off 
regretfully  his  pleasant  connections  with  scholarly  friends 
in  Mexico,  to  take  up  the  duties  of  a  distant  post.  One  of 
the  first  persons  met  in  the  new  surroundings  at  Monterey 
was  Vancouver,  the  English  explorer,  and  an  enjoyable 
acquaintance  for  both  men  followed.  Nevertheless,  since 
Borica  felt  obliged  to  obey  the  orders  which  he  had 
brought  with  him  from  Mexico,  to  exclude  all  foreigners 
from  the  province,  Vancouver  soon  felt  it  wiser  to  leave  ; 
but  it  was  with  regret  both  on  his  part  and  on  that  of  the 
genial  governor  that  they  bade  each  other  good-by. 


Spanish  Governors  of  California  203 

Borica  soon  turned  his  attention  to  the  condition  of  the 
neophytes  at  the  missions.  His  arrival  was  just  about  the 
time  that  the  fatherly  care  of  the  early  years  was  chang- 
ing into  the  harshness  of  later  times.  It  was  a  delicate 
task,  but  he  succeeded  so  well  in  it  that  the  severe  flog- 
gings ceased,  and  food  and  clothing  for  the  Indians  were 
made  better.  At  the  same  time  he  kept  on  good  terms 
with  the  missionaries.  Had  the  following  governors  been 
as  able  as  he,  the  end  of  the  mission  history  would  have 
been  very  different. 

Governor  Borica  was  greatly  annoyed  by  the  character 
of  the  colonists  sent  out  by  Mexico.  He  found  them  a 
lazy,  good-for-nothing,  poverty-stricken  class.  First  of  all 
he  struggled  with  their  drunkenness,  which  was  increasing 
fast,  as  more  wines  and  brandies  were  made  in  the  prov- 
ince. Then  he  took  up  the  still  more  difficult  task  of 
making  the  men  work  instead  of  leading  such  lazy  lives ; 
for  Borica  looked  with  despair  on  the  fairest  land  in  the 
world,  overrun  with  weeds  or  left  wild  as  nature  had  made 
it,  while  men,  women,  and  children  slept,  drank,  or  gam- 
bled away  their  days  and  nights,  content  in  their  rags  and 
miserable  huts.  Borica  wrote  to  Mexico  that  such  laziness 
was  "a  sin  against  God,  the  king,  and  the  government," 
and  that  it  "  should  for  the  future  be  punished  by  fines 
and  forfeitures."  He  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  the 
knowledge  that  he  was  in  earnest  forced  the  settlers  to 
harder  work. 

The  next  vice  attacked  by  the  governor  was  gambling, 
and  here  again,  by  severe  punishments,  he  succeeded  in 
checking  if  not  in  preventing  a  great  waste  of  time  and 


204  Spanish  California 

money.  He  also  insisted  that  parents  should  send  their 
children  to  school,  and  for  a  time  the  teachers  in  California 
were  kept  busier  than  ever  before  or  for  a  long  time  after- 
ward. He  ordered  fortifications  for  the  cove  and  valley 
known  as  Yerba  Buena,  to  the  south  of  what  is  now  Tele- 
graph Hill  in  San  Francisco.  So  to  Governor  Borica  may 
be  traced  the  beginnings  of  that  part  of  the  present  city. 

It  was  the  struggle  of  one  man  with  many.  The  people 
obeyed  only  while  held  by  a  strong  hand.  They  loved 
their  fleshpots  of  Egypt;  and  when,  in  1800,  Borica  left 
California,  old  customs  and  vices  were  quickly  restored. 

The  next  twenty  years  were  marked  in  Mexico  and 
South  America  by  revolutions  against  Spain,  and.  the  set- 
ting up  of  democratic  governments.  California  had  little 
interest  in  the  new  ideas ;  she  remained  loyal  to  Spain  and 
to  the  thought  of  a  monarchy.  The  governor  who  came 
to  the  province  in  1815  was  Pablo  Vicente  de  Sola.  He 
was  a  royalist,  and  had  been  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Spain.  All  Californians  looked  forward  with  the  greatest 
enthusiasm  to  his  coming,  for  he  represented  their  own 
ideas  on  the  questions  of  the  day,  —  loyalty  to  the  king  of 
Spain,  dislike  for  democratic  institutions. 

On  the  evening  after  his  arrival  the  gray  old  adobe 
presidio  was  made  beautiful  with  festoons  of  evergreens 
among  which  twinkled  a  multitude  of  lights ;  each  was  as 
quaint  as  an  old  Roman  lamp,  —  a  basin  of  suet  in  which 
floated  a  cotton  wick,  smoking  and  sputtering  as  it  blazed. 
The  next  morning  there  was  a  solemn,  ceremonious  mass 
at  the  presidio  church,  accompanied  by  discharges  of 
musketry  in  the  courtyard  and  the  boom  of  cannon. 


Spanish  Governors  of  California 


205 


After  mass  came  a  parade  by  the  soldiers,  and  an  address 
by  Governor  Sola,  followed  by  a  banquet  prepared  by  the 
ladies  of  Monterey.  In  the  afternoon  came  the  inevitable 
bullfight,  and  the  day  was  concluded  with  a  grand  ball, 
finer  than  anything  before  attempted  in  California. 

The  festivities  were  not  yet  at  an  end.     The  next  day 
was  spent  at  San  Carlos  mission.     There  the  interest  of 


Old  adobe  house  with  modern  roof 

the  governor  was  excited  by  the  California  side  of  the 
entertainment.  The  fathers  had  arranged  a  mimic  battle 
among  the  Indians,  who  were  adorned  with  feathers  and 
fought  with  their  savage  weapons.  Sola  watched  with 
closest  attention,  and  then,  the  ceremonies  of  the  inaugu- 
ration being  over,  he  returned  to  Monterey  to  take  up  the 
duties  of  governor. 

He  was  in  California  when  the  pirates  of  Buenos  Ayres 
visited  the  coast,  and  he  was  the  governor  who  witnessed 


2o6  Spanish  California 

the  reception  of  the  news  that  Mexico  had  declared  herself 
free  from  Spain.  Although  he  was  known  to  .be  a  royal- 
ist, and  California  was  in  sympathy  with  him,  everybody 
thought  it  best  to  accept  quietly  the  change  in  Mexico. 
The  province  was  benefited  a  little  by  the  new  govern- 
ment, for  an  assembly,  or  deputation,  was  formed  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  representatives  were  sent  to  the  Mexican 
congress. 

One  of  the  greatest  advantages  of  Sola's  life  among  the 
Californians  came  to  them  indirectly.  He  was  very  fond 
of  children,  and  as  he  was  a  well-educated  man  himself, 
he  wished  to  see  the  boys  enjoying  the  privileges  of  good 
instruction.  Finding  the  schools  closed  throughout  the 
province,  he  caused  them  to  be  opened.  He  frequently 
visited  the  one  at  Monterey,  and  there  he  became  inter- 
ested in  the  boys  of  the  pueblo.  Among  them  weie  three 
who  were  of  importance  in  the  later  history  of  California. 
They  were  Juan  Bautista  Alvarado,  Mariano  Guadalupe 
Vallejo,  and  Jos6  Castro.  He  found  these  three  bright 
minds  cramped  over  writing  lessons  from  straight  lines  to 
words;  over  reading  lessons  often  taken  from  old  letters 
or  exercises  written  by  the  teacher ;  and  over  the  doctrina 
of  the  church.  He  introduced  them  to  his  own  library;  he 
put  into  their  hands  masterpieces  of  Spanish  literature ; 
he  gave  them  portions  of  the  Spanish  constitution  to  read. 
In  short,  he  opened  to  them  what  had  been  closed  to 
almost  every  boy  of  California  up  to  that  time,  —  the  world 
of  life  and  letters.  Alvarado  responded  most  eagerly  to 
this  treatment,  and  of  him  we  shall  have  more  to  say  at  the 
proper  time. 


Spanish  Governors  of  California  207 

The  spirit  of  self-government  was  rising  in  California. 
It  was  seen  in  frequent  rebellions  against  tyrannical  gov- 
ernors. None  of  them  caused  much  loss  of  life,  but  they 
showed  that  the  Californians  would  no  longer  endure 
unjust  treatment. 

In  1829,  while  Echeandia x  was  governor,  there  was  a 
revolt  of  the  troops,  led  by  Solis,  a  desperate  convict  who 
had  been  sent  from  Mexico,  and  by  Herrera,  a  Mexican 
politician  scheming  for  greater  power. 

Victoria,  the  governor  who  succeeded  Echeandia,  met 
with  greater  difficulty,  for  it  came  from  the  better  class  of 
citizens.  He  was  so  self-willed  and  violent-tempered  that 
he  intended  to  rule  without  any  regard  to  the  privileges 
recently  granted  by  Mexico.  Determined  not  to  lose  their 
rights  so  soon,  some  of  the  young  men  in  San  Diego 
under  the  lead  of  Pio  Pico  rose  against  the  governor. 
They  were  soon  joined  by  others  in  Los  Angeles  and 
Santa  Barbara,  and  two  hundred  men  stood  ready  for  the 
defense  of  their  local  government.  So  ignorant  was  Vic- 
toria of  the  real  feeling  against  him,  and  so  unwilling  was 
he  to  take  advice,  that  he  marched  against  his  opponents 
with  only  thirty  men.  Near  Los  Angeles  a  typical  Cali- 
fornia battle  was  fought,  in  which,  at  the  first  sight  of 
bloodshed,  the  soldiers  on  one  side  fled  and  those  on  the 
other  deserted.  Victoria  was  left  in  possession  of  the 
field,  but  he  was  holding  it  almost  alone.  With  one  or 
two  exceptions,  his  thirty  soldiers  had  gone  over  to  the 
enemy,  old  comrades  of  theirs.  He  was  badly  wounded 
and  was  glad  to  agree  to  leave  California. 

i  Echeandia  (A-cha-an'-de-i). 


208  Spanish  California 

Three  governors  at  the  same  time  vexed  the  province 
after  the  departure  of  Victoria,  one  of  whom  was  Pio  Pico, 
chosen  by  the  assembly  to  act  until  the  appointment  of 
a  new  governor  by  Mexico.  The  three-cornered  quarrel 
which  threatened  to  plunge  California  into  civil  war  again, 
was  ended  when  Mexico  named  Jos6  Figueroa1  as  the 
next  regular  governor. 

Figueroa  is  one  of  the  well-known  names  in  the  history 
of  California.  The  most  important  question  of  his  time 
was  the  secularization  of  the  missions.  Part  Aztec,  as  his 
build  and  color  showed,  he  had  a  deep  sympathy  with  the 
Indians,  and  understood  better  than  any  other  governor 
the  danger  of  giving  them  their  full  liberty  before  they 
were  ready  for  it.  He  tried  forming  Indian  pueblos  in 
small  ways  with  some  of  the  more  advanced  neophytes ; 
the  results  were  highly  satisfactory.  But  in  the  midst  of 
his  efforts  came  the  order,  in  1834,  for  the  immediate 
secularization  of  all  the  missions,  and  Figueroa  saw  his 
work  frustrated  before  it  was  fairly  begun. 

The  next  regular  governor  was  Chico.  The  treatment 
which  he  gave  the  province  called  out  again  the  spirit  of 
rebellion  which  had  slept  during  the  time  of  Figueroa. 
Chico  was  a  man  of  vicious,  uncontrolled  temper  which 
often  threw  him  into  fits  almost  apoplectic  in  their  vio- 
lence. He  declared  himself  the  friend  of  Victoria,  and 
boasted  that  he  would  punish  every  man  who  had  taken 
part  in  expelling  him  from  the  province.  This  roused 
against  him  the  young  men  who  had  been  active  in  that 
affair.  He  took  vigorous  measures  against  foreign  trade, 

1  Jose  Figueroa  (H6-sa'  Fe-ga-ro'a). 


Spanish  Governors  of  California  209 

and  ordered  that  every  foreigner  in  the  province  should 
appear  before  an  alcalde  and  justify  his  presence  in  the 
country,  or  be  condemned  to  eight  days  in  irons  on  the 
public  works.  These  acts  did  not  tend  to  make  friends  of 
the  large  number  of  foreigners  by  that  time  in  California. 
In  fact,  Chico  seemed  to  succeed  in  only  one  thing,  —  in 
arraying  against  himself  every  important  class  of  people  in 
the  land.  He  proved  to  be  so  unfit  for  his  high  office  that 
one  morning,  after  he  had  indulged  in  an  unusually  bad 
attack  of  temper  the  night  before,  the  men  of  Monterey 
armed  themselves  and  surrounded  his  house. 

Chico  was  thoroughly  frightened.  Hittell  compares 
him  to  a  wild  beast  in  its  cage,  unable  to  do  any  more  harm, 
but  so  ugly  and  resentful  that  none  dared  brave  his  fury. 
But  Chico  knew,  at  least,  when  he  was  beaten,  and  he  did 
not  care  to  trust  himself  any  longer  to  the  men  of  Monte- 
rey. He  gladly  consented  to  return  to  Mexico,  and  Cali- 
fornia was  free  from  another  tyrant. 

After  Chico's  departure,  the  man  who  acted  as  governor 
until  a  regular  appointment  could  be  made  from  Mexico 
was  Gutierrez.1  He  knew,  however,  that  California  was 
on  the  highway  to  rebellion  against  the  careless  and  un- 
sympathetic rule  of  Mexico,  and  he  realized  that  at  that 
very  moment  the  actual  power  was  in  the  hands  of  Jos6 
Castro  and  Alvarado,  ably  supported  by  the  political 
sympathy  and  military  training  of  Vallejo. 

Alvarado  was  tne  real  leader  in  the  new  world  of 
thought  which  was  opening  slowly  to  California.  He 
had  become  acquainted  with  books  through  the  kind- 

1  Gutierrez  (Goo-te-ar'reth). 

SPAN.    IN    SOUTHWEST — 14 


2IO 


Spanish  California 


ness  of  Sola ;  by  some  means  he  had  met  with  writings 
on  the  life  and  work  of  George  Washington,  whose 
heroism  became  his  model.  He  was  active  in  public 
affairs,  holding  the  important  office  of  secretary  in 
the  territorial  assembly  when  only  eighteen  years  old. 

When  Chico  was  forced  to  leave  for  Mexico,  Alvarado 
held  a  position  in  the  custom  house  at  Monterey.  Gutier- 
rez soon  made  the  mis- 
take of  accusing  him  of 
dishonesty  in  his  ac- 
counts. Alvarado,  who 
was  probably  the  ablest 
man  in  California,  would 
brook  no  such  accusa- 
tion from  a  Mexican 
governor.  He  withdrew 
from  the  custom  house 

and  visited  some  of  the  leading  Californians  in  the  north. 
He  said  that  in  his  opinion  the  time  had  come  to  declare 
independence  from  Mexico.  Vallejo  hesitated,  but  many 
were  ready,  indeed  were  only  waiting  for  a  signal,  to  revolt. 
Alvarado's  word  was  the  signal,  and,  as  he  returned  to 
Monterey,  he  was  joined  by  nearly  all  the  men  on  the  route. 
Gutierrez  had  no  chance  for  escape.  He  called  together 
the  few  soldiers  who  were  willing  to  fight  for  him  and  for 
Mexico,  and  took  refuge  in  the  presidio.  Alvarado  was  by 
this  time  at  the  head  of  the  only  really  effective  force  in  the 
country,  but  even  that  was  so  small  that  he  had  no  desire 
to  lay  siege  to  so  strong  a  building.  He  thought,  however, 
that  he  might  frighten  Gutierrez  out  of  his  stronghold  by 


Old  custom  house  at  Monterey 


Spanish  Governors  of  California  2 1 1 

deceiving  him  as  to  the  number  of  men  by  whom  he  was 
surrounded.  Alvarado  marched  different  bodies  of  troops 
from  place  to  place  as  if  he  were  making  the  best  arrange- 
ment of  many  soldiers.  Gutierrez,  watching  from  the  pre- 
sidio, was  completely  misled ;  but  he  was  not  willing  to 
yield  without  a  struggle. 

At  eight  o'clock,  November  6,  1836,  Alvarado  sent  word 
to  Gutierrez  that  unless  the  presidio  were  immediately  sur- 
rendered he  would  make  an  attack.  There  was  no  reply. 
At  ten  o'clock  another  notice  was  sent.  No  reply.  At 
twelve,  Gutierrez  was  notified  that  Alvarado's  patience  was 
exhausted,  and  that  if  the  presidio  were  not  delivered  into 
his  hands  without  further  delay  he  would  wait  no  longer 
than  three  before  attacking.  Alvarado,  in  spite  of  his 
threats,  was  still  determined  to  win  by  strategy,  for  he  had 
no  desire  to  throw  his  untrained  men  against  the  adobe 
walls  of  the  presidio,  in  close  range  of  the  few  soldiers 
within.  He  felt  sure  that  Gutierrez  had  seen  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  troops,  and  that  he  would  surrender  if  suffi- 
ciently frightened ;  but  he  was  also  convinced  that  the 
governor  was  not  to  be  driven  out  of  his  safe  quarters 
without  a  show  of  force. 

The  revolutionists  looked  around  for  ammunition  for  the 
cannon;  but  when  Gutierrez  took  refuge  in  the  presidio 
he  carried  with  him,  as  he  thought,  everything  of  the  kind. 
He  really  left  behind  only  one  cannon  ball.  This  was 
found  by  Alvarado's  men  ;  enough  powder  for  one  charge 
was  gotten  together  by  emptying  out  musket  cartridges,  and 
the  attacking  party  was  ready  to  try  the  effect  of  a  shot. 
The  single  ball  was  so  well  aimed  that  it  crashed  through 


212  Spanish  California 

the  roof  of  Gutierrez's  house,  throwing  the  governor  into 
such  a  fright  that  he  made  haste  to  surrender  before  another 
one  had  time  to  follow.  Feeling  sure  that  the  insurgents 
were  well  armed  and  in  earnest  about  attacking  him,  he 
consented  to  leave  the  country.  A  few  days  later  he  went 
on  board  the  same  vessel  that  had  taken  Chico  to  Mexico, 
and  sailed  for  the  south. 

California  was  now  in  the  hands  of  her  own  sons,  and  they 
had  no  intention  of  doing  her  harm ;  but  they  were  deter- 
mined that  Mexico  should  no  longer  burden  her  with 
offensive  laws  and  oppressive  officials.  In  the  course  of 
a  month,  independence  from  Mexico  had  been  declared, 
a  new  government  had  been  put  into  working  order,  and, 
with  that  happy  faculty  of  the  Calif ornians  of  passing 
through  revolutions  unharmed,  not  a  drop  of  blood  had 
been  shed.  But  peace  had  not  yet  settled  on  the  land. 

The  new  government  went  into  effect  with  Alvarado  as 
governor,  Vallejo  as  colonel,  and  Castro  as  lieutenant 
colonel.  All  parts  of  California  were  fairly  well  satisfied 
with  the  change,  but  trouble  soon  appeared  on  the  south- 
ern horizon.  Mexico,  refusing  to  recognize  the  new  gov- 
ernment, appointed  as  governor  a  Californian  named 
Carillo,  and  called  on  all  loyal  citizens  to  support  him. 
As  Carillo  had  many  friends  and  relatives  in  southern 
California,  civil  war  was  unavoidable. 

This  time  blood  was  shed  in  a  battle  at  San  Buenaven- 
tura, one  man  being  killed  on  the  side  of  the  revolutionists. 
Hostilities  began  in  January,  1837,  the  first  battle  was 
fought  in  March,  and  in  May  Alvarado  announced  that 
the  war  was  at  an  end,  victory  being  with  the  Calif  ornians. 


Spanish  Governors  of  California  213 

During  the  two  months  of  warfare  Alvarado's  ideas 
had  undergone  a  change.  He  had  entered  into  the  strug- 
gle with  Gutierrez  with  the  thought  that  he  might  bring 
to  California  a  little  of  the  freedom  that  his  hero,  George 
Washington,  had  brought  to  the  colonies  on  the  Atlantic. 
But  he  soon  realized  that  his  countrymen  were  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  Americans  in  the  matter  of  self-govern- 
ment, and  that  their  wiser  course  was  to  remain  under  the 
general  government  of  Mexico,  insisting,  however,  on 
their  right  to  control  their  own  affairs.  After  coming  to 
such  a  conclusion,  he  had  too  much  common  sense  to 
fight  longer  for  independence;  so,  as  soon  as  the  war  with 
Carillo  was  ended,  he  sent  a  messenger  to  Mexico  to  say 
that  he  was  willing  to  return  California  to  her  allegiance. 
Only  too  glad  to  have  the  trouble  settled  without  further 
effort  on  her  part,  Mexico  took  the  wisest  course  possible. 
Alvarado,  who  was  acceptable  to  all,  was  appointed 
regular  governor,  and  as  he  easily  induced  the  citizens 
to  return  to  their  loyalty  to  Mexico,  no  more  notice  was 
taken  of  the  late  rebellion. 

During  the  six  years  that  Alvarado  acted  as  governor 
his  people  passed  through  many  changes.  They  wakened 
to  new  ideas  politically,  with  Alvarado  a  safe  guide  in 
them  all.  Aside  from  the  growing  interest  in  self-govern- 
ment, and  in  independence  from  Mexico,  the  principal 
question  was  the  ever  increasing  number  of  Americans 
pouring  into  the  state.  Men  of  excellent  character  and 
fine  business  ability  made  the  Pacific  coast  their  home, 
but  it  was  natural  that  the  Californians  should  look  with 
suspicion  and  anxiety  on  these  additions  to  their  popula- 


214  Spanish  California 

tion.1  The  newcomers  were  ranchers  or  merchants;  for 
although  gold  was  found  in  1842,  at  San  Francisquito, 
about  thirty-five  miles  northwest  of  Los  Angeles,  the  yield 
was  small  and  caused  little  excitement. 

In  1842  Alvarado  was  made  to  feel  the  uncertainties  of 
a  public  position.  Mexico  appointed  a  governor,  a  stranger 
to  California,  to  take  his  place.  It  was  a  somewhat  bitter 
drop  in  Alvarado's  life,  but  he  accepted  it  without  com- 
plaint. The  enforced  withdrawal  from  office  was  made 
easier  by  the  fact  that  he  was  in  poor  health,  and  needed 
rest  from  the  heavy  cares  under  which  he  had  been  labor- 
ing. But  he  did  not  give  up  his  hope  of  still  serving  his 
country. 

The  new  governor  was  Manuel  Micheltorena.  He  came 
to  California  with  instructions  to  stop  the  influx  of  Ameri- 
cans ;  for  Mexico  saw  in  every  fresh  arrival  a  reason  for 
believing  that  the  United  States  was  planning  to  take 
California  by  force.  To  aid  the  new  governor  in  his  task, 
about  three  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  sent  with  him  to 
do  duty  as  soldiers.  But  such  soldiers !  Every  civilized 
country  must  have  shrunk  from  them  with  disgust  and 
loathing.  Their  very  appearance  was  enough  to  turn  all 
respectable  people  from  the  government  which  had  sent 
them  to  the  decent  Americans  whom  they  had  come  to 
drive  out.  They  were  men  gathered  up  here  and  there,  as 
Micheltorena  passed  from  the  city  of  Mexico  to  the  sea, 

1  Among  those  who  came  were  such  well-known  names  as  William  A.  Rich- 
ardson, Daniel  Hill,  David  Spence,  Henry  D.  Fitch,  George  C.  Yount,  Abel 
Stearns,  Alfred  Robinson,  John  J.  Warner,  Thomas  O.  Larkin,  Hugo  Reid, 
P.  Leese,  Dr.  Marsh,  Peter  Lassen,  and  John  Sutter. 


Spanish  Governors  of  California  215 

and  were  generally  taken  from  prisons  where  they  were 
serving  sentences  for  crimes.  In  some  of  the  towns 
through  which  they  passed  officials  gave  orders  that  they 
should  be  kept  from  any  contact  with  the  people.  They 
were  filthy  to  a  degree  unusual  even  for  men  of  their 
class ;  they  were  so  ragged  that  respect  for  decency  made 
some  of  the  cities  clothe  them  before  allowing  them  on  the 
streets.  Many  of  them  made  no  pretense  at  clothing,  but 
wrapped  themselves  in  rags  of  blankets.  Some  of  these 
so-called  "  soldiers  "  were  accompanied  by  their  families, 
who  were  even  worse  off  than  the  men,  more  ragged, 
more  filthy,  more  objectionable  to  the  eye.  No  property 
was  safe  while  they  were  around ;  anything  that  could  be 
eaten,  worn,  or  carried  off,  was  stolen.  Bancroft  Llbflrt 

With  their  entry  into  Monterey,  a  reign  of  terror  began. 
One  of  their  assaults  was  on  the  captain  of  a  French 
vessel  lying  in  the  harbor ;  he  was  robbed  and  so  brutally 
treated  that  he  declared  he  would  bring  in  the  rest  of  the 
French  fleet  and  batter  the  town  about  their  ears  if  Michel- 
torena  did  not  make  amends  for  the  insult.  This  checked 
their  excesses  for  a  moment,  as  it  were,  but  the  people  of 
Monterey  were  finally  forced  to  free  themselves  from  the 
nightmare  of  their  presence. 

When  Micheltorena  first  arrived  in  California  he  re- 
mained for  some  time  in  Los  Angeles,  even  taking  the 
oath  of  office  in  that  city.  The  reason  for  this  neglect  of 
the  capital  was  that  a  most  remarkable  event  was  taking 
place  there.  On  the  afternoon  of  October  19,  1842,  the 
United  States  sloop  of  war  Cyane  sailed  into  the  harbor  of 
Monterey  and  dropped  her  anchor  in  front  of  the  town. 


216 


Spanish  California 


On  board  were  about  eight  hundred  men,  thoroughly  armed, 
under  Commodore  Thomas  Catesby  Ap  Jones.  Before 
night  came,  Commodore  Jones  sent  a  message  to  Alvarado, 
who  was  still  in  charge  of  affairs  while  awaiting  the  arrival 
of  the  new  governor.  In  his  communication  Commodore 


Old  jail  at  Monterey 

Jones  stated  briefly  that  war  had  broken  out  between 
Mexico  and  the  United  States,  and  that,  as  an  officer  in 
the  navy  of  the  latter,  he  proposed  to  take  possession  of 
Monterey.  He  gave  Alvarado  his  choice  of  surrendering 
quietly  but  immediately,  or  of  seeing  the  town  bombarded. 
The  decision  must  be  made  by  the  following  day. 


Spanish  Governors  of  California  217 

What  could  Alvarado  do?  The  trim  sloop-of-war, 
ready  for  battle,  lay  in  front  of  the  town ;  her  eight  hun- 
dred men  were  an  overwhelming  force.  Alvarado  was 
without  soldiers,  and  his  authority  as  governor  had  re- 
cently passed  into  other  hands.  That  night  a  horseman 
started  to  meet  Micheltorena,  bearing  him  the  astounding 
news.  The  next  day,  without  resistance,  four  hundred 
Americans  were  landed  and  marched  to  the  fort.  The 
Mexican  flag  was  hauled  down,  and  the  stars  and  stripes 
were  raised.  Monterey  was  in  the  hands  of  the  United 
States. 

Micheltorena  was  met  by  Alvarado' s  messenger  about 
thirty  miles  north  of  Los  Angeles.  The  governor  listened 
in  surprise  to  the  news  he  brought;  then,  as  he  had  no 
desire  to  meet  the  enemy,  he  turned  back  to  the  safety  of 
Los  Angeles,  and  issued  proclamations  against  the  "  mis- 
erable Americans." 

Tangled  affairs  straightened  themselves  out  most  unex- 
pectedly. Commodore  Jones  learned  that  he  had  been 
misinformed.  There  was  no  war;  he  had  no  right  in 
Monterey;  the  stars  and  stripes  must  give  way  to  the 
Mexican  flag.  It  was  a  very  awkward  predicament,  but 
Commodore  Jones  was  equal  to  meeting  it  readily  and 
courteously.  He  ordered  down  the  American  flag,  apolo- 
gized to  the  Mexican  officials,  and  withdrew  his  men  to 
the  Cyane.  A  little  later  he  went  to  Los  Angeles  to 
apologize  personally  to  Micheltorena  and  to  explain  his 
mistake. 

Now  that  the  danger  was  over,  Micheltorena  was  very 
jealous  of  his  rights.  He  demanded  that  the  American 


218  Spanish  California 

ship  should  salute  the  Mexican  flag.  Commodore  Jones 
agreed.  The  governor  demanded  fifty  suits  of  uniform,  a 
number  of  musical  instruments,  and  $15,000  to  pay  for  the 
losses  caused,  which,  however,  existed  only  in  the  govern- 
or's fancy.  Commodore  Jones  must  have  smiled  to  him- 
self at  the  absurdity  of  the  demands ;  but  to  Micheltorena 
he  said  quietly  that  he  could  pay  no  claims,  for  that  was 
a  matter  to  be  settled  between  Mexico  and  the  United 
States.  The  salute  was  given  at  San  Pedro  the  next  day, 
as  a  willing  apology  by  Commodore  Jones  for  his  mistake. 
His  information  as  to  the  breaking  out  of  war  had  been 
wrong,  but  it  was  a  prophecy  to  the  Californians  of  what 
was  to  take  place  four  years  later. 

The  tyranny  of  Micheltorena  and  the  crimes  committed 
by  his  soldiers  soon  roused  the  people  of  Monterey  to 
action.  Alvarado  was  called  from  his  ranch  to  be  their 
leader.  He  went  to  Vallejo  and  Castro  for  help.  Vallejo 
hesitated,  preferring  to  wait  until  they  could  be  surer  of 
success ;  but  Castro,  as  ever,  was  ready  to  take  an  active 
part  in  driving  out  an  unwelcome  governor.  A  few  troops 
were  quickly  collected  and  a  proclamation  made,  declaring 
that  the  revolution  was  for  the  best  interests  of  all  the  peo- 
ple, and  calling  on  loyal  Californians  for  assistance  against 
a  tyrant. 

Since  neither  side  was  prepared  for  war,  a  peace  was 
patched  up.  Its  most  important  provisions  were  that 
Micheltorena  should  send  his  thievish  troops  back  to 
Mexico  within  three  months,  and  their  officers  with  them, 
and  that  no  one  should  be  punished  for  the  part  taken  in 
the  troubles. 


Spanish  Governors  of  California  219 

Micheltorena  was  not  the  man  to  keep  his  word.  He 
fretted  under  the  feeling  that  Alvarado  was  watching  his 
administration  and  ready  to  check  excesses.  In  a  few 
weeks  he  was  planning  new  moves  against  the  revolution- 
ists. Knowing  that  powerful  help  was  needed,  he  sent  to 
Captain  Sutter,  asking  that  he  bring  in  secretly  a  company 
of  armed  foreigners,  who  should  be  paid  for  their  services 
by  grants  of  land.  Sutter  consented,  and  formed  a  com- 
pany which  was  willing  to  help  fight  the  governor's 
battles. 

Cleverly  as  Micheltorena  had  covered  his  treachery, 
completely  as  he  had  deceived  Castro,  Alvarado,  was  on 
the  alert.  The  double  dealing  was  discovered,  but  too 
late  to  take  any  steps  against  it  at  San  Jose,  where  the 
two  leaders  were  staying.  They  hurried  to  Los  Angeles, 
where  they  and  their  cause  were  well  received.  A  meet- 
ing of  the  assembly  was  called,  Micheltorena  was  deposed, 
and  Pio  Pico,  the  next  highest  officer  in  the  province,  was 
declared  governor  by  right  of  succession. 

Micheltorena  was  furious.  He  hastened  his  own  and 
Sutter's  troops  south  after  the  revolutionists.  At  Ca- 
huenga,  near  San  Fernando,  the  two  forces  met.  The 
familiar  farce  of  a  bloodless  battle  was  reacted.  The 
artillery  on  both  sides  opened  fire,  killing  one  horse  for 
the  revolutionists.  Alvarado's  men  responded  to  the 
encouragement  of  their  leader  and  dashed  toward  the 
enemy.  That  was  enough.  The  break  came  on  the  other 
side.  Sutter  began  to  feel  that  as  a  foreigner  he  was  in  a 
ticklish  position ;  Micheltorena  thought  of  his  evil  govern- 
ment and  expected  to  be  made  the  target  of  all  the  enemy's 


22O  Spanish  California 

bullets.  Both  men  concluded  that  they  had  seen  war 
enough  for  that  time.  Sutter  waved  a  white  cloth  ener- 
getically toward  Alvarado  ;  Micheltorena  fluttered  another 
frantically  in  the  direction  of  Castro  and  his  advancing 
troops. 

Again  peace  was  made,  but  this  time  there  was  to  be  no 
chance  of  treachery.  Micheltorena  and  his  men  were  to 
march  to  San  Pedro,  embark  on  a  vessel,  go  to  Monterey 
for  the  family  of  Micheltorena  and  the  rest  of  the  troops, 
and  then  the  whole  party  was  to  sail  immediately  to  Mexico. 
On  second  thought  another  provision  was  added  to  the 
terms  of  peace.  Micheltorena  demanded  and  obtained 
permission  for  his  troops  to  march  to  San  Pedro  with 
flags  flying  and  drums  beating,  and  they  were  to  be 
saluted  by  the  soldiers  of  Alvarado  and  Castro.  The 
whole  programme  was  carried  out.  Micheltorena  felt  that 
he  left  the  country  without  disgrace,  and  the  Californians 
were  glad  to  be  freed  of  him  and  his  men  at  so  small  a  cost. 

Sutter  did  not  escape  so  easily.  He  found  himself  in 
the  disagreeable  position  of  a  prisoner.  He  was  taken 
to  Los  Angeles,  where  he  was  allowed  several  days  for 
reflection.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  made  explanation 
of  his  conduct.  He  had  supposed,  he  said,  that  he  was 
supporting  the  regular  government  of  the  province,  and 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  give  aid  to  the  governor  if  called 
on  for  it.  Alvarado  and  Castro  could  not  afford  to  make 
an  enemy  of  so  powerful  a  man.  Sutter  was  allowed  to 
return  to  his  fort  near  Sacramento,  where  he  was  of  great 
assistance  in  keeping  the  Indians  from  dangerous  out- 
breaks. 


Spanish* Governors  of  California  22 1 

The  last  revolution  of  Spanish  California  against  its 
Mexican  governors  was  over;  the  next  great  encounter 
was  with  the  Americans,  with  whom  battles  were  serious 
affairs. 

The  departure  of  Micheltorena  for  the  south  left  Pio 
Pico  temporary  governor,  in  which  position  he  was  soon 
confirmed  by  Mexico.  In  times  of  peace  he  might  have 
proved  an  able  governor,  but  California  knew  no  peace 
during  his  short  administration.  Soon  after  his  appoint- 
ment the  history  of  the  missions  was  ended  by  the  decree 
of  1845,  already  mentioned,  by  which  the  land  once  owned 
by  them  was  sold  or  rented. 

Pico  did  not  prove  himself  strong  enough  to  hold  together 
the  different  parts  of  his  country.  He  and  Castro  were 
soon  quarreling,  and  their  differences  weakened  the  whole 
province.  In  1846  Captain  John  C.  Fremont  with  sixty 
armed  men  from  the  United  States  approached  Monterey. 
Castro  ordered  them  out  of  California.  Fremont  defiantly 
went  into  camp  and  raised  the  American  flag ;  but  he  soon 
thought  better  of  his  position  and  continued  his  government 
explorations  toward  Oregon.  In  a  rage  at  what  he  con- 
sidered a  hostile  invasion  of  the  country,  Castro  issued  a 
fiery  proclamation.  He  called  Fremont's  party  a  band  of 
highwaymen ;  he  was  furious  that  the  American  flag  had 
been  raised  again  on  Californian  soil;  and  he  looked  at 
the  presence  of  such  a  body  of  armed  men  as  an  insult  to 
Californians  and  a  menace  to  their  rights  as  Mexican  sub- 
jects. He  wrote  again  and  again  to  Pico,  urging  him  to 
send  soldiers,  to  come  himself,  to  take  any  steps,  to  drive 
so  dangerous  an  enemy  from  the  province. 


222  Spanish  California 

Pico  took  little  notice  of  what  was  going  on  in  the  north. 
He  was  dazed  by  the  disorganization  everywhere.  War 
between  the  United  States  and  Mexico  over  the  annexa- 
tion of  Texas  was  looked  for  at  any  time,  and  it  was  ex- 
pected that  one  of  the  first  movements  of  the  Americans 
would  be  to  seize  California.  This  fear  paralyzed  all  ef- 
forts to  bring  order  to  home  affairs.  To  add  to  the  uncer- 
tainties at  which  the  perplexed  Pico  was  helplessly  staring, 
Castro  sent  word  that  Fremont  was  about  to  return  from 
Oregon  into  the  Sacramento  valley.  Vallejo  reported  a 
current  rumor  that  two  thousand  American  families  were 
on  the  way  west,  and  would  cross  the  mountains  about 
July.  The  assembly,  which  should  have  been  ready  with 
advice  and  assistance,  was  unable  to  do  anything.  The 
governor  was  left  to  meet  the  tide  of  dangers  alone.  Cal- 
ifornia was  facing  a  new  problem,  one  that  might  well 
have  puzzled  far  more  experienced  statesmen  than  any 
who  had  grown  up  on  the  Pacific  slope. 

Then  came  the  alarming  news  that  Sonoma  had  been 
seized  by  Americans ;  that  Vallejo  and  three  other  promi- 
nent men  had  been  made  prisoners;  and  that  a  strange 
flag  was  floating  over  the  place.  It  was  the  banner  of 
the  "bear-flag"  republic.  The  American  colors  were 
soon  to  take  its  place. 

QUESTIONS.  —  Did  Spain  choose  governors  for  the  provinces  because 
of  their  fitness  for  such  positions?  Did  her  plan  result  in  any  able  gov- 
ernors? Were  there  any  weak  ones?  What  difficult  problems  met 
those  who  really  wished  to  help  California?  What  caused  the  frequent 
revolutions  in  California? 


PRONUNCIATION   OF   FOREIGN   WORDS 


#,  as  in  father;  d,  as  in  late;  a,  as  in  dance;  §,  aH  in  <W/ ,-  g,  as  in  »*/><•//; 
£,  as  in  be;  e,  as  in  hH  ;  f/,  ;us  in  (jan;  V,  as  in  machine;  I,  as  in  Me;  I, 
as  in  6rt;  o,  as  in  yo ;  o7>,  as  in  moon;  5,  as  in  hi*;  #,  as  in  rwtte  (  =  00) ; 
%V,  as  in  by. 


A-chup' 


A-liir-cOn' 

ftl-cftl'de 

Al-vii-ra'do 

Arguello  (ttr-gw81'yO) 

As-sV'gK 

ii-to'l§ 

Ho-de'gft 
HO-rY'cft 

bout 

Bou-chard' 

Hucnos  Ayres  (bwft'nOs  I'rfis) 

Cabeza  (kft-bft'thfi) 

Cabrillo  (kHrbrei'yo) 

Ca-hu6n'gii 

Carillo  (ktt-rel'yo) 

cft-rre'tfi, 

Castile  (kfts-tel') 

Cfts'tro 

ChK'cO 

Chi'le 

Chu/ptt 

g\'bo-ia 

c5m-man-dan'tg 
Co-ro-na'do 
Cor'teg 
Cres'pX 


Dg  Ne'vg 

DC  V-iV-i 

DY-fi'go  dfi  BO-ri'cH 

dOc-tri'ntt 


fan-dan  'go 

Fernandez  (far-nftn'deth) 


Figueroa  (fe-gflrrO'tt) 

Fray  Miir'c5s  djj  Niza  (nC'thli) 

Galvez  (gftl-vetli') 

Gas-paV 

Gutierrez  (goo-te-ar'roth) 

Herrera  (ar-rft'ra) 

Jose"  (hO-zft') 
Juan 


Ltt  Perouse  (pft-r55z') 

Lfi  Pu-r'i'sY-intt  C5n-cep-cJ-5n  ' 


LOB  Angeles  (ftng'h61-6s) 

Mtt-es'tro 
Ma-fcel'lan 
Mii-jor'ca 
223 


Pronunciation  of  Foreign    Words 


Ma-nu-el'  Mi-chel-to-re'na 
Ma-ri-a'no     Gua-da-lu'pe 

(val-ya'ho) 
ma-tan 'za 

Mendoza  (men-do'tha) 
me-ta'te 
Mi-chel-to-re'na 
Mon-te-rey' 
Mon-te-zu'ma 
M6-ra'ga 

Na-vi-dad' 
Or-te'ga 

Pa'blo  Vi-cen'te  dg  Sola 

Pa'lo-u 

Pe-ru' 

Pey'ri 

Pi'nos 

Pi'o  Pi'co 

Pi-zar'ro 

Por-to-la' 

pre-si'di-o 

pu6b'lo 

Pu-ri'si-ma 

Quivira  (ke-ve'ra) 

ran-che'ro 

ran'cho 

re-bo'so 

Refugio  (ra-foo'he-o) 

ri-a'ta 

ro-de'o 

San  An-to'ni-o 

San  Bue-na-ven-tu'ra 

San  Car'los 

San  Di-e'go 

San  Fer-nan'do 

San  Fran-ci's'co  Do-15'res 


Vallejo 


San  Francisquito  (fran-s6s-ke'to) 

San  Ga-bri-el' 

San  Jos6  (ho-sa') 

San  Juan  (hoo-an')  Ba-u-tis'ta 

San  Juan  Ca-pi's-tra'no 

San  Lu-i's  0-bi's'po 

San  Luis  Rey 

San  Miguel  (me-gal') 

San  Pe'dro 

San  Ra-fa-61' 

San'ta  Ca-ta-li'na 

Santa  Cla'ra 

Santa  Cruz  (krooth) 

Santa  F^ 

Santa  Inez  (e-neth') 

Senor  (sa-nyor') 

se-ra'pe 

Se'rra  " 

Sis'ki-yon 


So-la'no 

So-le-dad' 

So-lis' 

som-bre'ro 

So-no'ma 

ta-ker'si-a 
Tejos  (ta'hOs) 


Ulloa  (ool-y5'a) 

Vallejo  (val-ya'hO) 

Van-cou'ver 

vaquero  (va-ka'ro) 

Ve'ra  Cruz 

Vic-t5'ri-a 

Vi'la 

Vi's-cai'no 

Yer'ba  Bue'na 


Of   TMt  ^V 

UNIVERSfTvJ 


coco 
i>- 


1 


-p 

£ 


I 

Q 


190879 


